Village Bicycle Cooperative start-up looking for your input

I am currently working with a few people to develop a bicycle cooperative in Bay Village. Currently there are two bicycle cooperatives locally – one in Ohio City and another in Oberlin, both of which I have been working with this year to get a better understanding of how they function.

For those of you not familiar with bicycle cooperatives, they are non-profit organizations whose missions are guided by the unique needs of the communities of where they are located. As a result of this, I believe our cooperative would incorporate some of the other cooperatives' characteristics but would have a different focus based on the community it represents.

The goal for our bicycle cooperative is to foster an appreciation for the health benefits of bicycling in the community, and to serve as a model for our community on ways to develop and integrate sustainable practices into their lives through the refurbishing and upcycling of older bicycles. We also plan to partner with local organizations and businesses to hold “Spokes and Local Folks” rides in the area.

In order to develop the services, events and programs to best fit our community and local region, input from the community would be greatly appreciated. Please take a moment to answer a few simple questions in our online survey at: http://tinyurl.com/VBCinterestsurvey.

Membership will be open to residents and non-residents. Some examples of membership benefits include: use of the workspace and tools, discounts on parts and supplies and seminars/workshops. If you are interested or have questions and would like to contact me directly, please email me at Bisforbike48@gmail.com.