Today the BTA helped coordinate the bike section for Project Homeless Connect, a one-stop-shopping social service fair for homeless or in-need people at the Memorial Coliseum this morning.

The event was a great success. We tried out a new model in which we didn't just give away stuff - we asked that people sat through a 5-minute rapid-fire briefing on bike laws, safety and skills before they got a ticket to redeem for schwag.

We were worried that clients would turn their noses up at us, refuse to wait, act bored in the briefing or be resentful of our demand on their time - but it was a hit! People waited in line for the presentations, asked great questions and thanked us for the information. We felt confident at the end that the supplies we gave out were better-valued and better-used than if we hadn't put the time and effort into teaching the mini-class.

This effort came together under the guidance of Emily Rohlffs. Our bike mechanics were Alex from River City Bicycles and Ian Stude from the PSU Bike Co-op; they brought all their supplies and tools, and Bike Gallery chipped in brake cables, pads and housing too. Between the two of them, they fixed about 30 bikes in four hours.

Trauma Nurses Talk Tough supplied hundreds of helmets and fitted them expertly; the Share the Road Safety Class contributed dozens of light sets; another couple dozen lights were given out by the Community Cycling Center's Get Lit! Program; the Portland Transportation Options department and Metro brought bike maps and other helpful literature.

As with all great events, this was a hit because of all the effort, money and supplies people donated to it. We had a blast (though our teacher lost her voice after giving her 15th presentation) and can't wait til the next one!

If you're interested in contributing to this great event in the future, or have an idea about what we should add or change, please let us know.

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