Bike Library at Shirley Chisholm State Park
NOTE: The Bike Library is closed for the 2020 season. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and rode with us this year. Sign up for our mailing list for updates on our plans for 2021!
From spring to early fall, Bike New York’s Bike Library offers free access to bikes that allow Shirley Chisholm State Park visitors and neighbors to explore 407 car-free acres and 10 miles of bike paths.
New York’s first Bike Library!
Among the first free bike share programs in the country, the Bike Library at Shirley Chisholm State Park features recycled bikes on reclaimed land. Just leave an ID and use a Library bike and helmet for free throughout the park!
Launched in 2019, the Bike Library began by hiring five former participants in Recycle-A-Bicycle’s Earn-A-Bike program hailing from Pathways to Graduation, El Puente Academy for Peace & Justice, and Forest Hills High School. They were tasked with building the fleet of 84 bikes that now greet visitors when they arrive to the park.
During the Bike Library’s first three months, these hand-built bikes were taken on 8,585 rides, allowing park-goers to enjoy 10 miles of car-free pathways by the scenic Jamaica Bay. At our two Bike Library centers, we held Learn to Ride classes for kids and piloted a school Field Trip including a Parks-led environmental science workshop and Bike New York skills drills and ride. Our ride data shows that the majority of visiting riders came primarily from the surrounding neighborhoods, with 74% of bike share users hailing from Brooklyn. 34% of rides were taken by people under 18 years of age, and, excitingly, riders reflected an even gender split!
BIKE LIBRARY LOCATIONS
PHOTOS FROM OUR FIRST YEAR
