Kids in Motion, a mobile bike repair program run by the City of Billings and Billings TrailNet, was just awarded a $30,000 grant from St. Vincent Healthcare. The donation will help update a repair trailer and buy bike repair supplies for the next three years. The organizers also hope to provide bike education to students who come to the clinics. “With the trailer and funding, we can focus on educating students on safe riding practices while they get their bikes fixed too,” Isaac, an AmeriCorps Vista with the Planning Department explains.
Last year, Jeffrey Butts, Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Billings, along with AmeriCorps Vista members Emily Martin and Isaac Mevis, noticed that there were a lot of school children that wanted to ride a bike to school. However, students were often plagued with flat tires, non-working brakes, or broken chains and needed help fixing up their bikes to make them rideable.
Thus, Kids in Motion was born. Jeffrey, Emily, and Isaac decided to fix up a bike repair trailer that was owned by School District #2. After careful consideration on how to best use the trailer, the trio decided to schedule times to bring the trailer to local schools. They then advertised to parents, teachers, and students that students could bring their bikes for basic repairs after school. The repairs would be free of cost to the students.
Kids in Motion, as the repair clinic concept and the trailer came to be called, was a huge success. At each clinic, 10-40 students would come to get their bike repaired by volunteers, and ride off happily into the sunset. As Isaac says, “The idea came about from listening to the community. The average home in Billings spends nearly 30% of income solely on transportation. Students who ride their bikes and walk to school show up alert and ready to learn and the money saved from these transportation expenses ultimately can go to where it is needed most.”
Volunteers fix up bikes
When Kids in Motion needed more volunteers, Billings TrailNet answered the call by reaching out to its volunteer base to find volunteer bike mechanics. In fact, we are still looking for bike mechanics! Sound like something you are interested in? If so, please email us at volunteers@billingstrailnet.org and we’d be happy to add you to our list!
Part of the grant from St. Vincent’s will go to buying supplies
Congratulations to everyone who helped to make Kids in Motion a success and many thanks to St. Vincent Healthcare for funding the program! Bike clinics will begin again in August.