Bike share program to launch in Trenton with focus on older adults

A health collaborative in New Jersey’s capital city aims to launch a bike-share program this fall with a special focus on senior citizens.

The Trenton Health Team said their bike share project is intended to give all types of people access to bicycles, but will be based in areas where there are large numbers of older adults.

“We know that a lot of the seniors in Trenton don’t have access to vehicles,” said Julia Taylor, senior director of programs and partnerships. “And we wanted to give people a safe and healthy way to get outside even though we’re dealing with the pandemic.”

The program will be based in the city’s West Ward for the pilot phase and may expand if the pilot goes well.

In addition to bicycles, tricycles would also be available as well as safety gear. The collaborative is still working out the logistics of the program, including sanitizing protocols and who would watch over the bikes.

The Trenton Health Team is a partnership between St. Francis Medical Center, Capital Health, Henry J. Austin Health Center and the City of Trenton Health and Human Services Department. The collaborative received a $21,535 grant from the AARP community challenge. They were among 184 organizations across the country – one of three in New Jersey – that were awarded grants.

The collaborative worked with the Boys and Girls Club of Trenton and Mercer County Bike Exchange to secure bicycles from a now-defunct bike-share vendor. Trenton Cycling Revolution and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign are also partners in the project.