“Bicycle Training for People with Disabilities”

A two-year grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation

Read the 2023-24 grant application here

Our staff is trauma-informed through training, which is part of the social-emotional foundation of our bicycle safety work. These slideshows give a concise overview of how to work with people who have experienced trauma when teaching them to ride a bicycle.

Thanks to a grant from the JTMF Foundation, Bike First! purchased “focus tools” for our riders and an iPad with an app that allows us to communicate with non-verbal riders. The JTMF Foundation also donated $1000 for the purchase of bikes to donate to riders in need. Safe Routes to School donated $2500 for scholarships for participants from low-income families. Between the support from SRTS and the JTMF Foundation, many of our riders will be able to attend and benefit from the bikes they can keep.

We are grateful for ODOT, JTMF Foundation, and Safe Routes to School support!

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Bicycle Safety for Bike First! Riders & Caregivers

Vision Zero’s Safe System approach

In the past, much traffic safety work focused on the individual behavior of road users. In contrast, Vision Zero’s Safe System approach considers how the people who design, build, and manage the transportation network can prioritize the lives and health of people using the system.

Safe System principles  

In the past, a lot of traffic safety work focused on the individual behavior of road users. In contrast, Vision Zero’s Safe System approach considers how the people who design, build, and manage the transportation network can prioritize the lives and health of people using the system.  

Six principles underpin this approach: 

  • Death and serious injuries are unacceptable – we must reject the notion that traffic violence is the inevitable price of mobility.

  • People make mistakes – we should account for this when we design our transportation system.

  • Human bodies are fragile – our soft tissue and bones are not able to withstand crash forces.

  • Responsibility is shared – among those who design, build, and manage streets and vehicles, those who use streets and vehicles, and those who provide post-crash care.

  • Safety is proactive – the reason we make systemic changes is to prevent serious crashes.

  • Redundancy is crucial – if one layer of protection fails, another will prevent serious injury. 

The Safe System approach anticipates human mistakes. The idea is to keep the risk of mistakes low, so when a mistake leads to a crash, the impact on the human body doesn't cause serious injury or death.   

Safe System elements 

How can you help us reach Vision Zero? 

There are simple actions you can take to help us realize Vision Zero: 

Portland.gov