Here’s how we maintain the fleet during winter season
Over the winter while ridership is lower, we have the freedom to take a bit more time (several hours per bike) to do some maintenance beyond the regular repair. What we are doing is largely preventative maintenance and it includes things such as:
Putting a tool to every bolt on the bike, checking torque and
Making sure every thread has fresh grease and/or threadlocking compound where applicable
Cleaning out the gear hub internals and overhauling with fresh grease and maintenance oil
Thorough cleaning of the frame and components, inspecting for damage and replacing as needed
Replacing cables as needed
Any time we do a normal repair, we operate under the assumption that anything could be wrong with the bike so we check all systems and make repairs as needed. During the winter overhaul, we open up areas that are not problems, and try to ensure better longevity of all of the components, and of the user experience.
Indego is recruiting new Community Ambassadors for 2016! Help us spread word about bike share and plan Indego programs for your friends, neighbors and community groups. Keep reading to learn more.
What you’ll do: Ambassadors organize group rides, help plan safety classes, participate in festivals and community forums, and serve as the Indego voice for their community.
What we’re looking for: Community influencers who hold leadership roles in their community, can plan/attend approximately one event/month from April-October, and have strong ties to neighborhoods bounded by 52nd St, Lehigh Ave, Snyder Ave, and the Delaware River.
What’s in it for you: $2,000 stipend plus Indego30 monthly pass. An opportunity to help grow and shape Indego bike share.
Deadline to apply is March 4! So apply today!
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia does outreach and education on behalf of Indego, a City of Philadelphia program. This work is made possible by the Better Bike Share Partnership, an initiative funded by the JPB Foundation, which seeks to create a socially equitable and replicable bike share model for Philadelphia and beyond.
Check out winter riding tips compiled by Indego staff and partners to keep safe, warm and happy as you pedal towards the spring season. Click here to view guide or see below.
The Bicycle Coalition’s Better Bike Share team is feeling energized by the new year and ready to get back on the streets of Philly! Here are the top three things each member of the team is looking forward to. Have any event and partnership ideas? Send them our way!
Katie:
Our Ambassador program! Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved to help spread the word about Indego. I'm excited to continue working with folks on the ground and incorporating their perspectives into Indego's success.
Themed rides! I had so much fun on our Polar Express Ride to Project HOME in December... I'm excited to see what other partners we can support and highlight using the Indego bikes to bring people together.
Networking with other cities. Constant dialogue with peer cities who are thinking about equity, diversity, and inclusion in bike share keeps our gears turning and helps us continually improve our work. The Indego team visited Bed Stuy Restoration Corporation in NYC to learn about their partnership with Citibike -- inspiring!
Azephra:
Classes! I'm really looking forward to our monthly Learn To Ride series and getting more people comfortable with riding a bike in the city.
New Friends and Partners: Building networks in new communities with the expansion of Indego stations.
Rides! Rides are the most fun and the best way to connect with people. Having a regularly scheduled ride will make it easier for community members to join us.
Pati:
Education! I’m super excited to lead regular Spanish Language Bike Safety/Urban Riding Basics classes with Puentes de Salud as a guest presenter in their Charlas program! Puentes is a great organization promoting the health and wellness of South Philly’s Latino immigrant community.
Education, again! I’m also looking forward to the monthly Urban Riding Basics classes we will be teaching starting in March! They will be free and open to the public. Stay tuned for further information. ;)
Warmer weather and the many, many group rides that will come with it!
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia does outreach and education on behalf of Indego, a City of Philadelphia program. This work is made possible by the Better Bike Share Partnership, an initiative funded by the JPB Foundation, which seeks to create a socially equitable and replicable bike share model for Philadelphia and beyond.
We are looking forward to seeing you get back out there! As we bring the system back up, be sure to check our online map or the B-cycle Now app for station availability before heading out.
The following stations will remain unavailable while staff continue to clear them of ice and snow:
Rodin Museum
11th and Poplar
6th and Berks
6th and Fairmount
Point Breeze and Tasker
Welcome Park NPS
As always, our Help Desk is available 7 days a week from 7am-10pm to answer your questions and concerns. Call 844-446-3346 or email [email protected]. Thank you again for your patience and understanding!
Ride safely,
Team Indego
In these cold winter months, the Indego and Better Bike Share team is still working hard to stay connected with Philadelphia communities. Volunteering on MLK Day of Service is a tradition for the team - last year we worked with PowerCorps PHL to clean up a park in South Philly, and this year we spread out and worked on a number of different projects around the city.
The Bicycle Coalition’s Better Bike Share team - Azephra Hamilton, Katie Monroe, and Pati Gutiérrez - volunteered with Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM) in North Philly to distribute newsletters and fliers to the neighborhoods they serve.The group of volunteers, led by APM’s dedicated staff and Community Connectors, was able to reach over 1,000 homes with information regarding APM’s free tax preparation, health insurance resources, and other community resources...including Indego!
“It was a super COLD day, but it was such a gift to get to spend it together as a team and support the great work APM does. Looking forward to more collaborations in 2016 between APM and Indego,” said Katie Monroe, Better Bike Share Outreach Manager.
Carniesha Kwashie, Better Bike Share Grant Manager at the Mayor’s Fund for Philadelphia, volunteered her time with the OIC of Philadelphia’s #JobsNOW Digital Job Fair. As a member of Temple University’s Black Alumni Alliance (TUBAA), she and other board members volunteered at OIC’s KEYSPOT computer lab. There were many volunteers that assisted clients with creating online job application profiles, and completing online job applications.
Aaron Ritz, one of the managers of Indego at the City of Philadelphia, volunteered his time by visiting Chesterbrook Academy Preschool and speaking to the students about the program. The kids were so thankful and excited that they gave Aaron a HUGE hug and it almost knocked him over (literally). Check out this cute group photo from his visit!
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia does outreach and education on behalf of Indego, a City of Philadelphia program. This work is made possible by the Better Bike Share Partnership, an initiative funded by the JPB Foundation, which seeks to create a socially equitable and replicable bike share model for Philadelphia and beyond.
Although Indego operates all year long, we take necessary precautions to protect our riders and equipment. To prepare for this weekend’s storm, we anticipate full service interruption beginning today, Friday, January 22nd at 6:00 PM. Safety is our top priority, and stations will be powered down until the snow has stopped falling and conditions are safe. Once a station is down you will no longer be able to remove a bicycle, but you will be able to dock a bike. If you have any questions, please call us at 844-446-3346 or email [email protected].
Check Indego’s website, Twitter, and Facebook for real-time updates and news on when service will be restored. @RideIndego
List of volunteer projects for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service 2016
We are just a few days away from Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday that gives us a chance to make an impact in our community through service. From painting schools to cleaning up public spaces, there are a number of activities taking place that give everyone the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and give back.
Indego is excited to help get you to and from service projects across the city! See below for a list of ideas compiled from our friends at Visit Philly and the Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as many others.
“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve,” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Visit Philly MLK Day of Service Projects: Includes a variety of projects, such as working with popular tourist attractions, or community work in Philadelphia neighborhoods. Click here to see the list!
Parks and Recreation MLK Day of Service Projects: Help clean up your green spaces! Volunteer to spend the day at one of Philly's many parks, playgrounds and recreation centers. Click here to see the list!
Groundswell MLK Day of Service Projects: Includes some cultural and arts-focused organizations. Click here to see the list!
Philly Fun Guide MLK Day of Service Projects: Fun opportunities for the whole family! Click here to see the list!
Additonal projects can be found here on the official MLK Day of Service website.
Let us know on social media where you’re volunteering! @RideIndego #RideIndego
“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'”
Contest: Enter for chance to be featured in our 2016 marketing materials!
Back in October, we recruited 5 Indego Community Ambassadors to be a part of the "Faces of Indego" campaign. This year we are creating 5 more ads to be featured on buses, billboards, TV and social media, and we want to highlight you! If you ride Indego to work or school, to run errands, or just for fun, we want to tell your story.
Participate in our Faces of Indego contest and become the next Indego star!
Please submit your answers to the questions below along with a photo of you (your friends, cousin, or mama too) with an Indego bike or at a station. No pictures while riding - safety first! Email answers and images to [email protected] with the subject line: Faces of Indego 2016.
Contest ends February 3rd. Photoshoot occurs in February.
Full Name
Occupation/Interest
Neighborhood
Favorite Thing About Philly
Why Do You Ride Indego?
What Views Do You See On Your Ride?
Any Tips For New Indego Riders?
How Has Indego Impacted Your Life/Community?
Note: Users not selected for the final 5 will still have a chance to be included in other promotional opportunities. Indego reserves the right to use all submitted materials for marketing purposes.
Click here for rules.
Follow Indego on social media! @RideIndego #RideIndego
The City of Philadelphia and its partners at Bicycle Transit Systems are pleased to share anonymized Indego trip data with the public. The privacy of Indego passholders and users is very important to us, and information won’t be released unless the City can ensure that the identities of individuals or groups cannot be discerned and that their privacy is not compromised.
Toss it, flip it, turn it inside out, combine it with your own or someone else’s data! Tell us how many trips happened in the rain, or after midnight, or below 50 degrees – we want your help to delve into the data and reveal the hidden gems of understanding that will allow us to make Indego the best it can be.
We are releasing the data for the first six months of trips now, and in the future we will release trip data quarterly.
Click here to access data.
Stay updated via our monthly newsletter and follow us on social media @RideIndego #RideIndego.
This has been an amazing year!
Indego has come a long way in 2015. We started the year as a big idea with lots of promise, and in the last 12 months we got a name, a sponsor, a color, a map, 700 bikes, 73 stations, a cash payment system, 20+ staff, over 400,000 rides, and over 7,000 of you, our passholders, riders, and friends. You have been there every step of the way, enthusiastically cheering us on, and being supportive as we continue to learn and grow. Thank you!
2016 promises to be pretty exciting as well. We're looking forward to our system expanding thanks to a William Penn Foundation grant, spending quality time with our new General Manager, and continuing to provide quality operations, marketing and customer service.
Thanks for making 2015 successful, and fun. Happy Holidays!
- Team Indego
Passholders end 2015 with a donation ride for Project HOME
Tis the season to give back and our passholders did just that this past Monday. Thank you to everyone who came together to deliver and donate gifts to those in need at Project HOME. We had over $600 worth of donations and know that Project HOME truly appreciates your generosity.
Check out some of the photos below. Happy Holidays!
Our Better Bike Share Partnership Outreach team has been wrapping up the year with a few Spanish-language Urban Riding Basics classes in South Philadelphia. Pati Gutiérrez, one of our BBSP Community Liaisons, spent the past few months meeting with different Latino immigrant-serving organizations to schedule Spanish-Language Urban Riding Basics classes at their sites. In December, we participated in Puentes de Salud’s Charla Program and Casa Monarca’s information session on Philadelphia’s different modes of public transportation.
Puentes de Salud is a nonprofit that promotes the health and wellness of South Philadelphia’s growing Latino immigrant community through health care and educational programs, among other things. Their Charla Program, for example, consists of weekly informal presentations on topics related to health; all offered in Spanish. Volunteers lead the Charlas programming and the meetings take place in the waiting room of Puentes de Salud’s clinic. On December 7th, Pati led a session on bike safety and Indego for roughly 25 people.
Casa Monarca promotes the preservation of Mexican culture and traditions through their programs, primarily focusing on the arts and education for the community. On December 8th, they hosted a Spanish-Language information session on transportation options, including SEPTA and Indego. Pati spoke to the group about how Indego works, safe riding in the city, and answered the group’s various questions. At the end of the event, she distributed helmets to the participants.
Do you work for an organization that serves the Latino community and would be interested in hosting a class? Do you know anyone whose dominant language is Spanish that you think would be interested in participating in one of these classes, or in any of our programming? If so, let us know and Pati will follow up with more information!
Over the Summer, the Better Bike Share Partnership team had a unique opportunity to partner with the Food Trust and Cadence Youth Cycling team to lead rides from the Food Trust’s Common Ground Marketplace (Broad and Mt. Vernon) to various urban farms throughout North Philadelphia. Through this partnership, we met many folks in the community interested in learning more about Indego and the Urban Farms movement.
First stop: We were set to visit the Philly Urban Creators (PUC) Farm on July, 12th. We had a fun group that day, including three sisters from the community (they took a break from shopping to go on the ride with us).
As we rode to the farm, riders rang their bells and waved at folks as we passed. The Cadence youth engaged with riders in conversation, telling them about their program and how fun it is to bike in the city. Once we arrived at the PUC farm, we received a warm welcome, met the organizers and many community members of all ages involved in the effort. They gave us a tour of their farm and talked to us about their overall goals. The produce that they are growing in North Philly was being sold at the The Common Ground Market Place and other farmers markets throughout the city.
We made many great connections on this ride. One of the participants, Susie Paige, happened to be a member of GirlTrek Philly and invited us to coordinate a group ride later in the year with 10 members of the GrilTrek crew. When asked about her experience with Indego, Susie shared, “the ride was great. It was a wonderful way to visit the urban garden. I took my first solo Indego ride today. Did very well thanks to the GirlTrek training.”
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia does outreach and education on behalf of Indego, and their work is made possible by the Better Bike Share Partnership, an initiative funded by the JPB Foundation, which seeks to create a socially equitable and replicable bike share model for Philadelphia and beyond.
