On Monday, March 4th, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., the City of West Palm Beach, in collaboration with the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA), Tri Rail, with support from DDEC and EXP, and sponsorship from Richwagen’s Bike and Sports in Delray Beach, hosted an event to kick off Florida Bicycle Month. The event took place on the east side of the Tri Rail Station in Downtown West Palm Beach.
At the event, attendees had the opportunity to receive a free bike tune-up provided by the local Vice Chair of the Palm Beach TPA’s Citizen Advisory Committee. This service was particularly significant in terms of equity, as many of the attendees’ owned bikes but had never had the opportunity to receive such a service. Simple adjustments such as pumping air into tires, checking gears, and tightening seats were made, greatly enhancing the safety and functionality of the bikes. The positive feedback received from attendees underscored the importance of providing such services to individuals who may not have access to them otherwise.
In addition to the bike tune-ups, attendees also received free swag from the Palm Beach TPA and Tri Rail, further enhancing the experience of the event. The success of the event was evident in the inquiries from attendees about its potential recurrence. Many expressed interests in making it a monthly event, highlighting the demand for such services and the positive impact they can have on promoting multimodal usage in the city.
Moving forward, there is hope that these efforts can indeed become a recurring event, either as a service provided by the City or Tri Rail. By continuing to offer bike tune-ups and promoting multimodal transportation options, we aim to encourage more individuals to incorporate biking into their daily routines, thereby fostering a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable community.
