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We partnered with East African Community Services and Superpedestrian to distribute 100 bikes to BIPOC youth last week!

A student picks out a new bike! Photo: SDOT

Together with East African Community Services and Superpedestrian, we distributed 100 bikes to middle and high school students on August 3rd.  

We handed out free bikes and bike-related gear to a youth cohort based primarily in the NewHolly community in the Rainier Valley. East African Community Services helps East African immigrant and refugee families in South Seattle and South King County to achieve success from infancy to adulthood.  

Bikes lined up and ready to be distributed!
Bikes lined up and ready to be distributed! Photo: SDOT 

The bikes were donated to East African Community Services by Superpedestrian, the company that runs LINK scooters, one of the four scooter companies that operate as part of SDOT’s Scooter Share program. On Monday, August 2, we all came together to assemble the 100 bikes, which was no small feat!  

Assembling bikes the day before the event.
Assembling bikes the day before the event. Photo: SDOT 

SDOT’s Safe Routes to School program supplied the helmets, bike locks, and front and rear lights for each bicycle so that the middle and high school youth who receive bikes will be well-equipped to ride safely. 

This event was part of a larger partnership effort between SDOT and East African Community Services to engage with young people and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities about traffic safety, active transportation, and what it means to feel safe traveling in Seattle. 

We’re aiming to reduce inequities in access to active transportation as well as racial disparities when it comes to who is affected by traffic crashes. Through this work, we’re also focused on investing in BIPOC youth to lead by applying their experiences and creativity to transportation safety education efforts. 

Staff from Superpedestrian, SDOT, and East African Community Services pose with bikes.
Staff from Superpedestrian, SDOT, and East African Community Services celebrate the new partnership. Photo: SDOT 

“EACS is invested in creating opportunities for active and healthy lifestyles within the East African communities of South Seattle. We are grateful to Superpedestrian and SDOT for making today’s event possible. One hundred beautiful youth will receive free bikes.”

-Amir Noir Soulkin, Development Director with East African Community Services 

“We’re honored to work with the Seattle Department of Transportation on their Vision Zero initiative to donate 100 bicycles to children in partnership with Seattle’s East African Community Services. At Superpedestrian,  we work to make micromobility accessible to all people. We are proud to serve our Seattle community, to work closely with SDOT, and to give everyone the ability to move around the city in an easy, safe, and sustainable way.”

– Assaf Biderman, Founder and CEO of Superpedestrian, operator of LINK scooters 

“We’re excited to bring together East African Community Services and Superpedestrian to form this partnership of public, private, and non-profit organizations. Together, we will create more opportunities for BIPOC youth to get where they need to go, and work toward our goal of making all of our communities safe and accessible.”

-Sam Zimbabwe, Director, Seattle Department of Transportation 

This partnership is part of Seattle’s Vision Zero initiative, aimed at ending traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030.  

SDOT staff talk to participants about bike safety.
SDOT staff talk to participants about bike safety. Photo: SDOT 

In addition to lowering speed limits and redesigning streets to reduce crashes, we’re committed to engaging with community organizations to expand the reach of information and resources.  

Together, we can cultivate a culture of empathy and respect for one another so everyone can feel safe and comfortable traveling Seattle’s streets. Learn more about Vision Zero at www.seattle.gov/visionzero

Learn more about East African Community Services at https://eastafricancs.org/ and more about Superpedestrian at https://www.superpedestrian.com/en.