See It: The Community being helped

The RUBEY Project (Recycling Used Bicycles by Educating Youth) has a mission to provide local youth (ages 7-14)with the education and skills needed to help them gain independence in the community. Participants learn how to repair, maintain, and construct used bicycles by practicing hands-on, minds-on activities with a variety of bicycle mechanics and advocates. Participation in the program qualifies them to receive a newly renovated bicycle, free bicycle helmet, and bicycle skills lessons. This is a no-cost program designed to benefit communities and the families that create them.

See It: The Community being helped

The Parkwoods is a residential gated community nestled at the base of the Berkeley Hills. My father has lived here since before I was born, except when it was being rebuilt from a major fire in the hills. When I moved to the Parkwoods with my father, I was thrilled about being able to ride my bike in the beautiful Berkeley Hills. Being only five minutes away from public transportation, I figured I could ride my bike to and from work with no problem. However when I saw how long and dangerous the uphill ride was on the way back, I realized that the prospect of living here and not owning a car is virtually impossible. The community has only several bike storage rooms that cost $60 a year to use. There are no bike racks in the community at all. There is no bus that goes from the Bart station to the Parkwoods. It became clear that this is a community that priviledges one form of transportation, the car. The Parkwoods Bike Club offers an alternative.

The purpose of the Parkwoods Bike Club is to offer support and community to members of the Parkwoods community who have an interest in biking. The Parkwoods Bike Club (PBC hereafter) offers a forum and voice for bikers and people in the community to represent the need for bike safe roads and bike friendly public transportation. The PBC also offers a forum to develop and share biking information to support bikers or potential bikers of all levels. With global warming becoming a greater threat to our environment, the need for alternative forms of transportation has never been greater. The PBC is committed to making biking as a means of everyday transportation safe and possible.