Pennsylvania Legacies #222: All About the Go

Josh Raulerson (00:02):

It is Friday, August 23rd, 2024 from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. This is Pennsylvania Legacies. I’m Josh Raulerson. Adaptive cycles look and operate a bit differently from the bicycles you’re familiar with, but their function is the same to get people from one place to another, whether it’s for work, for play, or for something else. To help people in the Pittsburgh area access these cycles. The city’s bike share program, POGOH, started a new adaptive cycling program earlier this summer. The program launched with the well-attended event back in May at the Eliza for a trail head along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, giving the public an opportunity to try out the fleet of specialized bikes.

David White (00:45):

Our team comes to work excited to get people to change their default when they’re trying to go somewhere in our city. Instead of automatically reaching for your car keys, we’re hoping people start reaching for their bicycle helmet, and this is a big step in making that happen, so that all ages and all abilities of people can jump on a bicycle and find a way to get around our city.

Josh Raulerson (01:12):

Most of the adaptive designs are geared for people with physical or cognitive disabilities, but some like a side-by-side tandem and a cargo bike can be used by anybody. To learn more about adaptive cycling and about pogo, my colleague Derek Maiolo sat down with the organization’s Director of Marketing and Community Outreach, Erin Potts. Here’s their conversation.

Derek Maiolo (01:37):

Erin, thank you so much for being on Pennsylvania Legacies. 

Erin Potts (01:40):

You’re welcome. Thanks for having me.

Derek Maiolo (01:42):

So first tell me what is Adaptive POGOH?

Erin Potts (01:45):

So Adaptive POGOH is a fleet of eight accessible bikes that we have available on the Eliza Furnace Trailhead. Each bike is designed to fit different types of riders, you know, people with cognitive or physical limitations that prevent them from enjoying a traditional two-wheeled bicycle. This fleet of eight cycles. Each model is unique and kind of fits a different type of rider coming from some, some different needs that they have.

Derek Maiolo (02:16):

Can you describe some of those that you have available? The different kinds?

Erin Potts (02:19):

So we have several different kinds of tricycles, and those are probably our most popular models. We have a side by side tricycle that allows you to ride next to a person rather than the traditional tandem where, you know, you’re kind of staggered. We do have a tandem as well, but the side-by-side tricycle is a really like social well-balanced experience for folks. And then we also have a two different kinds of hand tricycles, one that’s more of a recumbent and a little bit more athletic, and the other one is a bit more upright and supported posture. And then we just have a traditional adult sized tricycle for just someone who wants a little bit more balance assistance. But beyond the trikes, you know, we have the tandem bicycle. We have a low step through bicycle for folks that have difficulty lifting their legs over a bar. And then we also have a cargo bicycle, which is an interesting part of the fleet because it’s primarily used for hauling larger loads or putting a service animal in the front. So yeah, we have a wide variety of different cycles that we offer at the Adaptive POGOH location.

Derek Maiolo (03:30):

Where did these bikes come from? Were they all from one company or did you source from like a variety or how did that work?

Erin Potts (03:35):

We sourced from a variety of different companies. We communicated with other bike share programs who operate adaptive fleets, and we were able to get their feedback on cycles that had worked well for them in their fleets. And they come from a variety of different retailers throughout the United States. Each company kind of has a little bit more of a specification, you know, like if you’re looking for a recumbent bike, you might go to one particular vendor. We have a few tricycles from Workman Cycles because they seem to really specialize in the tricycle space. So yeah, each one is a little unique and comes from a different, a different spot.

Derek Maiolo (04:17):

How do rentals work?

Erin Potts (04:18):

We offer a reservation system on our website, pogoh.com. You can make a reservation for a date and time of your choosing. We are open every Wednesday and Sunday from 10 to two, and we allow folks to make a reservation in, in advance, or we allow Walk-ups as well. And of course that is dependent on what is available and already booked that day. So we do encourage reservations, but if you’re just out and feeling like you want to enjoy the trail and take a ride, you can stop by Adaptive POGOH and get rolling.

Derek Maiolo (04:52):

And this launched back at the beginning of summer. How how has the pilot program been going?

Erin Potts (04:58):

It’s been great. You know we’ve had a pretty hot summer, but people have really been enjoying them. We’ve seen over 55 rentals on the different cycles throughout the summer and with pretty limited hours for this kind of being our pilot year for the program. We’re really pleased with the success and the folks who have been enjoying it have been really, really wonderful and very, very gracious with us and seem really excited about the program.

Derek Maiolo (05:27):

Do you see a lot of new faces every week, or do you have, have you noticed a lot of returning riders?

Erin Potts (05:33):

We do have a few returning riders that like to ride on the regular, but yes, we’ve seen a new people every week coming in to enjoy the program.

Derek Maiolo (05:42):

And I’m curious, why is it important to provide these adaptive bike share options? Like are there, are there barriers for adaptive biking or just getting around the city? If you require an adaptive bike, like what, how, how has this kind of filled some gaps there?

Erin Potts (05:59):

Being a nonprofit organization, we really are driven by a social mission. And that social mission is to provide, you know, an equitable bike share program for Pittsburgh. We want everyone to be able to experience the joy of being on a bicycle. And so Adaptive POGOH was really, it, it came to be because two-wheel bicycles don’t suit every rider. There are folks with different balance needs, physical limitations, you know, different cognitive limitations that may require additional balance or assistance from another person. So this initial fleet is certainly not for, still for everyone. And we definitely need to like, continue to build on our offerings, but we really are trying to not just stick to the two-wheeled bicycle as the only way that you can participate in the POGOH program and bring more people into this bicycling community and really see that diversity with people who want to get out and enjoy Pittsburgh via bike.

Derek Maiolo (07:07):

These bikes that are designed for particular physical abilities, do they tend to be more expensive than just your average two wheel bike? Like, is there a cost barrier to someone who might want to purchase this on their own rather than have access to this what is currently a free pilot bike share program?

Erin Potts (07:23):

Absolutely. That is definitely something that we hear from folks is that the cost of adaptive bikes is so high and a lot of folks want to just be able to use something every now and again, not have to store it, not have to transport it. So having access to these for free and on the, on the trail where you’re already going to want to be riding and, and using this program is just a very low barrier way to get more people included.

Derek Maiolo (07:54):

Was there a particular reason you chose the Eliza Furnace Trailhead as the location for the, the pilot?

Erin Potts (07:59):

Yeah, we did want to be close to accessible parking. That was something that we knew our riders were going to want. We wanted access to the one of the trails so that people do not have to have their first experience on a cycle interweaving with traffic. People can ride wherever they want to once they are out on the trail, but the trails are just such a lovely way of like having an introduction to riding a bun in Pittsburgh. So we did want to have access to the trail. And it’s also nice to have the POGOH station right next door because a lot of our riders want to bring friends or family to ride with them. And so we wanted them to have access to pogo bikes as a way of being social out on the trail with their friends.

Derek Maiolo (08:49):

I noticed at the launch event, and if you go to the Eliza Furnace Trailhead, people will also notice there’s a very colorful shipping container where I think you’re right, you were storing the bikes. Can you talk about the story behind that?

Erin Potts (09:01):

The shipping container idea came from other cities who operate adaptive programs where having a business brick-and-mortar space in some of these really prime locations is not feasible for folks. So the storage container came about as a way to operate a more of a traditional rental model so that we could really support these riders with staff who are able to help them get on their cycles and get adjusted and get comfortable and offer that experience at a physical location. So we partnered with Jason Sauer from Most Wanted Fine Art in Garfield, and he painted the container for us. And it’s, we really wanted to create kind of like more of a welcoming space, even though it is at the end of the day, a shipping container by the trail. It is now kind of like a beacon for adaptive cycles

Derek Maiolo (10:00):

For those who haven’t seen it, it’s this very brightly colored shipping container. It has people biking and then adaptive pogo in, in large letters, so everyone knows, oh, this is where I, where I go, <laugh>.

Erin Potts (10:09):

Yes. It calls you in.

Derek Maiolo (10:11):

Yeah, it does. Stepping back, can you talk about the history of POGOH? Like how did it get started? What, what is your mission?

Erin Potts (10:19):

Our nonprofit name is Bike Share Pittsburgh Inc. And we launched the Healthy Ride program back in 2015, and we operate the bike share program here in Pittsburgh. In 2022, we relaunched as POGOH. Part of that relaunch was so that we were able to provide electric assist bicycles in our fleet. So we needed to connect with a hardware provider who is able to really make that happen for us. But as an organization, you know, I think we’re really fortunate here in Pittsburgh to operate as a nonprofit because we really are driven more by a social mission. We are able to partner more freely with organizations who support our mission and want to see bike share in Pittsburgh succeed. But we really want to create the most joyful, sustainable and affordable mobility service for everyone in Pittsburgh. And yeah, we’re approaching our 10 year anniversary now. Next year we’ll be 10 whole years of bike share in Pittsburgh, and we are going to be growing by 52 new stations throughout the city and two into Wilkinsburg actually is part of that expansion, which is really exciting for us. So yeah, we are a small but mighty team that operates here in the strip district, but is really creating more ways for people to think outside of the car and get active and just be mobile in our city.

Derek Maiolo (11:46):

In that time that you’ve, you’ve been growing over the last decade how have you seen like maybe the perception around bike share? Like how, how has it grown? Has, has it, you know, gained popularity or how have you seen Pittsburgh respond to its bike share program?

Erin Potts (12:02):

It’s been a really fun few years to watch the changes. When we launched back in 2015 and I was just having our introductory meetings with communities to talk about what bike share was and sort of launch this thing there was a lot of skepticism as to whether or not this was going to work for our city. And thankfully much like other cities elsewhere, you know, who hear the same kinds of concerns, it’s been a hit in Pittsburgh and every year it grows. And our ridership this year is slated to crush any other year that we’ve ever had. And a lot of it is just when you see more people on bikes and you see more people that look like you on bikes, and you’re seeing this greater cultural shift in our city away from thinking about doing everything by gas powered car and more thinking, well, you know, like, I might only really need to travel two or three miles, it’s a pretty long walk, but I can get there in five to 10 minutes on a bike and you have a bike that is near you that’s affordable, you know, and it’s just like an option for making these quick trips throughout our city.

Erin Potts (13:22):

It’s been really fun to watch people embrace the program. I will also say that as the bike infrastructure grows and bike lanes and trails and more people having access to really like safe bike facilities, that is also where we see our ridership grow as more bike lanes get rolled out, more people are going to and do consider riding a bike as a real feasible alternative. You know, it is something that is growing and the more people that do it, the more it welcomes more people into this space to empower new people to like, think about how they might get around our city a little bit differently and the safe bike routes. We partner a lot with bike Pittsburgh, and as we see the safe bicycling infrastructure grow in our city, we also see our ridership grow in those areas because when people have access to safe and accessible bike facilities, they use them. And more people are welcomed into this space because what seemed daunting or scary before, now they have this facility that they can use and that makes them feel comfortable and gives them a spot on the road.

Derek Maiolo (14:45):

Yeah. Very much like a if you build it, they will come kind of.

Erin Potts (14:48):

Yes, we have definitely seen that to be true. Our most popular stations are always connected to good bicycling infrastructure. And we’ve seen so many new, new bike lanes throughout the city, so, you know, like as we really, because the trails are awesome. I love the trails. But they don’t often get you where you need to go. They’re a wonderful recreational tool. Some of us have the privilege of getting to use them as part of our commutes, but so many of us aren’t going to really consider biking as a form of transportation until our streets feel safe for them.

Derek Maiolo (15:35):

Yeah. That’s been a huge push for us at Peck is shifting the narrative a bit to like, trails aren’t just recreation trails are also transit.

Erin Potts (15:43):

We —oh my gosh, I love the trails — but yeah, I think the joy of being on the trails needs to be shared throughout more of the, the city via, you know, like new bike connections that really take people everywhere that they need to go, and not just Pittsburgh Riverfronts.

Derek Maiolo (16:00):

How does the bike share work? If I want to go and, and rent a POGOH bike, how do I do that?

Erin Potts (16:04):

So we to get everyone to download our app. Much like a lot of the different ride hail services, ride sharing services, that app is going to be, you know, where you get started and where you go every time you want to go and rent a bike. So our app is called PBSC, and you download the app, you decide how you want to ride. We have a variety of different membership options that people can choose from, create your account, decide how you want to ride, how often you’re going to ride. You know, we offer a lot of different passes that are definitely trying to get folks to think about using the program regularly. But at the same time, if you just want to go for one ride this year, we have an option that’s good for that too. So you download the app, you decide how you want to ride, you enter your information and a method of payment, and then you walk up to a bike at a station, hit that little unlock button and the bike releases and you go for a ride and you can return at any station in the POGOH network.

Derek Maiolo (17:12):

When you were talking about accessibility, I mean just when you, when I look at a city like Pittsburgh is a very hilly city <laugh>, so I know I have friends who they love biking, but to them it isn’t that feasible to like, to bike to a lot of, you know, parts of the city because there are a lot of hills that they just would rather get in a car. So now Pogo I know offers e-bikes. How long have you been offering e-bikes and how have you seen that change how people interact or, or how have you seen that affect ridership?

Erin Potts (17:42):

In 2022, we relaunched the system as pogo and as part of that we got brand new equipment throughout the city of Pittsburgh, and that was the first time that we introduced electric assist bicycles into the city. Now more than half of our fleet are electric assist bicycles. They are used three times more often than our traditional pedal bicycles. We do still love having the pedal bikes available for folks who really want a more recreational experience. Those are still available, but our e-bikes neutralize Pittsburgh Hills and just make it a pleasure no matter where you’re biking in Pittsburgh, no matter what hill you’re on, you can do it. And you can pretty much do it sweat free. It’s just like a, an easy way to get around by bike in the city and a lot of folks cannot afford to purchase e-bikes. E-bikes come in all different pricing models, but good, reliable, sturdy e-bikes are hard to come by and hard to afford. And so it’s something that we really want our riders to be able to have access to, to really make more trips in Pittsburgh doable by bike for more people.

Derek Maiolo (19:07):

Going back to the POGOH Adaptive program, you know, you had your the pilot period has been this summer ending in September is that right? What are plans for the future? Do you have plan to expand or Yeah. What’s next for Adaptive POGOH?

Erin Potts (19:21):

So this year we are really taking the full season to evaluate the program, talk with the people who are using the program to hear their feedback and what they would like to see. And also just partnering with other organizations who really serve these different populations of people who we want to be bringing into this space and inviting into Adaptive POGOH. And if we aren’t currently offering something that they are able to use, identifying new cycles that we can introduce to the fleet that will, again, fill this gap for people and bring more accessibility into the space. So it’s still early for knowing exactly what Adaptive Pogo is going to look like in 2025, but it will be back. We will be keeping things rolling for folks. And it’s, it’s been a really exciting year to see more and more people using it.

Derek Maiolo (20:22):

As far as the near future are there some events that POGOH is putting on that the public can get involved with and maybe try out some of the adaptive bikes?

Erin Potts (20:30):

So we have the End of Summer Roll-Up coming up on September 7th. We’re going to be kicking off a really big group ride at 4:00 PM starting from the Highline and near our trail station, near the Color Park in the South Side. So we will be hanging out down there. We’ll be going for this big bike ride throughout the south side neighborhood. And we will be bringing the adaptive fleet. So folks want to come out and ride with us and ride on the adaptive bikes. We will have those, but we also provide POGOH bikes for that ride for free to the public so folks can find out more information on pobo.com. But we are really trying to make this a fun celebration of rides, you know, like a season, another successful season of riding bikes in Pittsburgh. So yeah, everyone’s welcome to come down. Oh. And we will have 250 helmets that we will providing for giveaway at the event. So free helmets for youth and adults.

Derek Maiolo (21:31):

That’s great. Well, I know you’ve been posting a lot about it on your social media, so people can definitely learn more follow you on social media. We will include a link to the event in our show notes in this episode, so people can check that out and then plan accordingly. So thank you. Erin, thank you so much for your time and for being on Pennsylvania Legacies.

Erin Potts (21:52):

Thanks for having me.

Josh Raulerson (21:58):

POGOH will continue to offer rides on its fleet of adaptive cycles at no charge every Wednesday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM all the way through the month of September. Head to the Eliza Furnace Trailhead and look for the colorful shipping container with Adaptive POGOH painted on the side. POGOH staff will be there to set you up and get you on your way. Making an online reservation is recommended, but not required. For more adaptive cycling resources in the Pittsburgh area, check out POGOH partner organizations, Three Rivers Adaptive Sports, and Joy Riders. We’ll include links to those groups in the show notes. Meanwhile, on the other side of the state in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Center for Applied Sports operates 13 sports and wellness programs year round. Those include everything from skiing in winter to kayaking and cycling in the summer. You can learn more at centeronline.com. Link in the show notes for this episode as well on the PEC website.

Josh Raulerson (22:54):

Check out pecpa.org, the website where you can listen to past episodes of the Pennsylvania Legacies podcast. If you prefer to use a podcast app, we’re certainly available there as well. Just search for Pennsylvania Legacies on the website. You can, of course, learn more about PEC’s program and policy work across Pennsylvania, touching on everything from trail development and access to the outdoors to clean energy and climate. It’s all at pecpa.org, pecpa.org. We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with more conversations. Until then, for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Derek Maiolo, I’m Josh Raulerson. Thanks for listening.