Toledo donates nearly 100 bikes to Toledo Bikes

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Toledo Bikes is bursting at the seams after the city of Toledo dropped off more than 90 bicycles.

“Toledo Bikes is thrilled with the generous donation that the city of Toledo provided,” says Toledo Bikes board president, Steve Atkinson.

The bikes are retired from the city’s first micro-mobility rideshare program, ToleGO. Metroparks donated the bikes to the city in 2018 when the program launched. This year, the city switched operators. You can now rent Veo’s bikes and scooters instead. The switch saves $150,000 taxpayer dollars annually in operating costs.

But the original yellow bikes were still the property of the city until they were donated. The non-profit will now rehabilitate them.

“We’ve evaluated the fleet to make sure they are road-worthy,” says Atkinson. After the bikes are fixed up, they’ll be used to fulfill the mission of Toledo Bikes.

“To make bicycles available to the community, including those who can’t afford them,” says Atkinson.

Toledo Bikes will then find out how to cycle them back into the community to make the most impact.

“People rely on their bikes to get to work, to exercise, recreation, quality of life is a big part of why cycling is important to individuals,” says Atkinson.

Toledo Bikes is consulting with community organizations about how the bikes should be distributed to those in need. The board will make an announcement in the new year about where they’ll end up after being rehabilitated.

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