Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc. received a $12,000 grant from PNC Bank. The grant will expand access for low-income residents to Pacers Bikeshare through ICT, Inc.’s “EveryBody Rides” program.
“EveryBody Rides” aims to give EveryBody, regardless of gender, age, race, income-level, shape, and size, access to the gold Pacers Bikeshare bikes in downtown Indianapolis. The program offers low-income residents subsidized passes to Pacers Bikeshare through partnerships with the Indianapolis Housing Agency, Volunteers of America, and other location-based organizations and properties that serve low-income residents and are located in close proximity to the bike share system.
The grant from PNC enables the EveryBody Rides program to partner with additional service-based organizations and low-income properties, ultimately increasing access and reducing barriers for affordable, reliable and healthy transportation options for those who need it most. Qualifying individuals can purchase an annual pass for $10, a $70 discount, which provides access to all 251 bikes and 29 stations located on or near the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.
“This project promotes health and wellness and has the potential to improve the quality of life for underserved residents in our community,” said Patricia Gamble-Moore, PNC’s Community Development Banking manager for Indiana. “These bikes offer neighbors active, reliable and affordable transportation that will make commuting or running errands easier for EveryBody.”
The grant will also help expand education and outreach to underserved communities through EveryBody Rides partner sites and the development of ambassadors trained to help conduct informational health and wellness meetings, basic bike education, assist with online registration and other support needs. PNC has supported the Indianapolis Cultural Trail since its inception in 2008. Since then, PNC has provided over $25,000 to help fund construction for the trail through a grant to the Central Indiana Community Foundation.
“The EveryBody Rides program has been a critical element of Pacers Bikeshare since we started in 2014. It’s essential that a public bike share is seen as an accessible mode of transportation for all of our residents,” said Kären Haley, Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc., Executive Director. “We know our current EveryBody Rides participants are almost 25 percent more likely to use bike share to access the Central Library, which provides access to information, education and potential jobs. With the grant from PNC, we will be able to take what we’ve learned from the first two years of the EveryBody Rides program and ramp up the outreach and education regarding the value of Pacers Bikeshare as affordable and active transportation in our downtown.”