Devou Good Project donation aims to make biking more accessible in Northern Kentucky
NEWPORT, Ky. — Two Northern Kentucky nonprofits have teamed up to make navigating Campbell County by bicycle easier and more accessible. Devou Good Project donated 100 bike racks to ReNewport, an organization spearheading the ongoing revitalization of Newport, Ky.
More than half of the bike racks will be installed in Newport, in high-traffic areas such as the riverfront, Newport on the Levee, and the business corridors along Monmouth and York Streets, as well as in parks and on residential streets. The remaining units will be distributed throughout neighboring cities.
The donation is part of a greater initiative by Devou Good Project, ReNewport and other local organizations to improve mobility throughout Greater Cincinnati. In October, several of these organizations, along with the City of Newport, installed temporary bike lanes and shared lane markings on thoroughfares in Newport to demonstrate the need for biking infrastructure.
“The only way we’re going to make our cities more mobile is to make biking easy and accessible for everyone, which includes having a dedicated place to park your bike,” says Matt Butler, Chair of Special Projects for Devou Good Project. “We’re grateful for ReNewport’s commitment to safe, active communities and eager to work with other likeminded partners.”
Installation of the U-shaped bike racks, which are designed to be virtually indestructible to prevent theft and vandalism, began this week. ReNewport will host a ribbon cutting event with Newport city officials on Thursday, Nov. 14, at Wooden Cask Brewing Company. The event starts at 4 p.m. and is open to all. The ribbon cutting will take place at 5 p.m.
Josh Tunning, ReNewport Executive Director, says the bike racks are an important step in their effort to change how people view biking.
“There is a mentality that the only people who bike are those who wear spandex or can’t afford a car, but biking is for everyone,” Tunning says. “For our cities to succeed, we’re going to have to rely more on biking as a central mode of transportation.”