Bikes as a Community’s Connective Tissue in Aliquippa

Aliquippa, a city of about 10,000 people in Beaver County PA, is a 2021 Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence recipient. The recognition honors a variety of community development activities, including an innovative partnership with faith-based Communicycle. Communicycle uses bikes to increase peoples’ engagement with each other and their community, while also giving people of all ages safe opportunities for physical activity and to join with others to learn about maintenance and repairs. To do this, Communicycle collects used bikes, makes repairs, and distributes them in Aliquippa and surrounding towns. For some cyclists, their Communicycle bike is the only working vehicle available and, therefore, a critical piece of the puzzle in finding and maintaining work. Many adults and families with children who receive free bikes through Communicycle “pay it forward” with acts of kindness through community service projects. More info is available on Communicycle’s website (communicycle.org) and on social media.