#facesofindego

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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 

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Faces of Indego: Staying Active

Name: JW Wiggins Occupation/Interest: Librarian Neighborhood: South Philadelphia

Favorite thing about Philly: There are just so many neat things to see and do all over the place--I lived for years in a rural area, so I have a great appreciation for the opportunities in our city!  Things are so accessible--whether by walking, transit, or cycling.

Why do you ride Indego? Indego stations and bikes are convenient--within a block of my home in South Philly, my work in University City, and so many of the places I go--even for things like physical therapy in Queen Village.  They are particularly perfect for one-way trips for any residents who have their own bikes, and a great option for showing guests around the city.  I also try to ride them as much as I can instead of riding a bus or train--it's helpful to keep active throughout the day and week.

What views do you see on your ride? My favorite rides so far were to check out the crowds during the recent visit by the Pope, really a great Philly experience.  From spring through summer to fall, I've seen many sunrises and sunsets while crossing the Schuylkill in either direction.  Every once in a while I'll alter my route and I discover some new murals (one of the my favorite benefits about living in Philly)--and often, some very friendly people out and about in their neighborhoods.

Any tips for new Indego riders? 1)--add the app(s) to your smartphone if you have one for some great convenience for planning; 2) add the Indego phone number to your contacts and don't hesitate to call when you have any questions--the staff are helpful, just awesome; 3) explore all the bike lanes and keep your helmet handy to keep Indego a convenient option when you're out and about!  There are a lot of safe, fun rides to enjoy.

How has Indego impacted your life and/or community? I credit Indego for helping me lose six pounds, encouraging me to enjoy the urban outdoors more, and making it easy for me to be more spontaneous.  I've enjoyed more fun times with my friends, gotten more chores done, and been more involved than ever before.

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Faces of Indego: Feeling Hopeful

Submitted by: Sarah-Ashley Andrews Founder/CEO Dare 2 Hope (Suicide Prevention & Awareness Non-Profit)

My favorite thing about Philly is the hope that I feel when I ride through my city, the hope that it will one day be a place of peace and love. I take pride in where I am from. I’m looking forward to the day when we really live up to our city’s motto: Brotherly Love & Sisterly Affection.

Indego adds the exercise component to my metal wellness plan. I am a firm believer that just as we plan budgets, and other things in life, we need to have mental wellness plans as well. Riding Indego allows me to ride off stress and increase my energy level.

My favorite view while riding is seeing people’s reactions. Riding Indego bikes with Dare 2 Hope sparks a lot of conversation, and we get many words of encouragement during rides. Indego helps you to see little things throughout the city that you may not have noticed in a car or on public transportation. It gives you time to take in neighborhood landmarks, and connect more with the city.

Indego has also helped me to engage my family, friends and community in a healthy activity that they may have not known was so readily available to them. It has also given me another tool for fighting depression and suicide in youth and young adults. My goal in life is to help prevent youth and young adults from committing suicide.

Bike riding is one of the best exercises to do that, and Indego gives me the opportunity to get more people involved in bike riding and believing in the importance of living mentally well. My advice to anyone interested in riding Indego is to just do it! I’ve had people on rides with Dare 2 Hope who have not ridden a bike in years. Once you get on…there’s no stopping you!

[rideindego]

Meet Our New General Manager

Kristin Gavin moved to Philadelphia to pursue a Master’s degree in exercise and sport psychology at Temple University in 2007. As part of her coursework, Kristin developed a business plan to make bicycling accessible to individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction.  In tandem with earning her degree, Kristin founded Gearing Up, a nonprofit organization designed to engage women with histories of abuse, addiction and incarceration in bicycling as a means of establishing a long-term habit to promote physical, emotional and social health. Over the past 7 years, Gearing Up has brought bicycling and indoor cycling programs to women’s facilities, including the women's prison, throughout Philadelphia, creating opportunities for more than 1,000 women to ride a bike.

Over the past decade, Kristin has engaged in bicycle advocacy work as a Research Fellow with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and as a Project Coordinator for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, and is currently is a Philadelphia Cycling Advisory Board member. Prior to moving to Philadelphia, Kristin spent several years working as a tour guide for Bicycle Adventures, a multi-sport adventure tourism company, as well as enjoying her own self-guided bicycle tours through Vietnam and Cuba. 

“Passion and talent –it’s what drives the city’s bikeshare staff and what Kristin brings to Bicycle Transit Systems in her new role of General Manager. Her commitment to bringing bicycling to everyone was evident in her work at Gearing Up, and we see great things in the future for Indego,” said Denise Goren, Director, Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities.

"I am thrilled to be tasked with leading an amazing team to ensure Indego is a fun, accessible and reliable bike share system for Philadelphia," said Gavin.

"Indego launch day felt like Christmas morning, and not just because I am a passholder and frequent pedaler! I love Indego because it is committed to making bicycling accessible to all Philadelphians.  If there is anything I have learned from my own time spent in the saddle over the past 10 years, it is that bicycle riding make the world a smaller place, where people are more connected to their communities -- and that's a perfect fit for Philly."

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Faces of Indego: Flexibility with Transportation

Name: Marni Duffy

Occupation/Interest: Small business owner and coding newbie

Neighborhood: Olde Kensington

Favorite thing about Philly: Family and friends and bikes! I love the parks, the rivers, how small the city is, how old the city is, how diverse it is, and that there is always something to do or see.  

Why do you ride Indego? To save money and time, and to get fresh air and a little endorphin rush!

What views do you see on your ride? Trees, snow (soon!), kids, animals, lots of cars, and lots of potholes.

Any tips for new Indego riders? Plan 5-10 minutes into your first trip to get the bike comfortable for you: adjust the seat height a few times until you've got it dialed in. Practice ringing your bell. Get a feel for the brakes: they have a different sensation than what you're probably used to. Choose a route with the help of a cycling friend, or seek smaller, less congested streets when possible. Take an urban riding basics class through the Bicycle Coalition if your bike skills are rusty or you have never been on a bike on city streets! And follow the basic rules: no riding on the sidewalk (get off and push the bike!), no riding against traffic, and take the lane!

How has Indego impacted your life and/or community? Indego has brought fun and convenience to my life. It's really nice to have flexibility in my choice of transportation: I can take a blue bike downtown and take a cab or uber home. I can use Indego when I have to do 2-4 errands in center city, instead of paying for the subway/bus 2-4 times. It takes the stress out of locking up my bike downtown. Having a station 2 blocks away is very convenient! Bike share bikes are great for riding in fancier clothes also: skirt guards, step through frame, and upright riding position!

Photo credit: Thom Carroll

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Faces Of Indego: Changing How We Look At Cycling In The City

In celebration of all the riders who keep Indego moving, the Faces of Indego campaign will be highlighting users throughout the month of November through interviews, photographs, and stories . Want to show your face? Email [email protected]

Name: Albert Lee

Occupation/Interest: Social and Content Manager for Philly 311 - City of Philadelphia. | Interest - street photography, community engagement

Neighborhood: Chinatown

Favorite thing about Philly: Our honesty. We are a city.

Why do you ride Indego? It's so convenient! You never have to worry about where you are going to park your bicycle!!! And, there are plenty of stations to choose from at any time, day or night.  

What views do you see on your ride? Center city, South Philly, Northern Liberties. Philly neighborhoods are so easily connected from one end to the other.

Any tips for new Indego riders? Keep in mind that Indego bikes are slightly heavier than most bikes so be sure to adjust your gears when you start pedaling. 

How has Indego impacted your life and/or community? Indego has really changed how people look at cycling in Philadelphia. It has brought the conversation of safer streets and more bike lanes. For me, I've never owned a car and have always relied on either walking, public transit or using a bicycle. A downtown Philly with nothing but bicycles and public transit on the streets? Pinch me...

[rideindego]

Faces of Indego: Meet The Member That Pedaled To All 73 Stations In One Day

Submitted by Joel Mandelman

I live at Seventh and Sansom, a block from Washington Square. I often start at the station at 8th and Market. The stations at 10th and Chestnut, 9th and Arch, and 5th and Market are also close. I wouldn’t object to a station in Washington Square, but I don’t want to sound spoiled. I know most people don’t have stations this close.

I moved to Philadelphia from Wichita in March and have been looking for ways to get to know the city. I joined Indego in June and have been using it regularly ever since. I’m a big fan. I have a bike, but I like the convenience of the bike share program. It's great for short trips. I don’t have to worry about bringing my bike up to my apartment or locking it up, and you guys take care of the maintenance. I’ve been using the Indego map a lot and thought visiting and photographing all the stations would be a fun project. I’m an Instagram novice, but I like the app and am rooting for a bike-friendly Philly.

The ride took about eight hours, a little longer than I thought. I was thinking, well, one minute per station would be 73 minutes, but I knew that wasn’t realistic. Five minutes per station would be about six hours. That would be possible. In the end, it took a little extra time because I had never been to most of the stations, and I took some time to explore. I’m excited to get back to the Clark Park farmers’ market for mushrooms.

I started about ten-thirty. I wrote out the route the day before. Start close to my apartment, ride out to West Philly, cross the Schuylkill at Spring Garden and get the Art Museum, head to North Philly, wrap around Fishtown, back to Logan Circle, then South Philly, and finish up with the Center City stations near my apartment. I knew where most of those stations were located, so I thought if I could get the first sixty, I know where the last ones are located. During the ride, I used the bike2go app to fine tune the route. And, at the end, I had to stop at my apartment to recharge my phone, which I was using as my camera. Then, I went back out and got the last five stations: 9th and Arch, 12th and Filbert, 6th and Race, 2nd and Market, and Independence Hall. I numbered the photos in the order I took them. I'm thinking maybe someone else can help me with a shorter route.

I would definitely do it again. The photos turned out to be kind of a fall Philly valentine. It was a nice day, and I like photos of street scenes, interesting public spaces, brightly colored leaves, murals, the skyline, and blue bikes.

View photos on my Instagram account here: https://instagram.com/butternutsquashsoup/

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Faces of Indego: A Part of My Daily Routine

In celebration of all the riders who keep Indego moving, the Faces of Indego campaign will be highlighting users throughout the month of November through interviews, photographs, and stories . Want to show your face? Email [email protected]

Name:Keola (Kay-ola)

Occupation/Interest: Financial Planner

Neighborhood: West Philadelphia (born and raised). Yes - the playground was where I spent most of my days :)

Favorite thing about Philly: The architecture. My favorite thing to do in Philly is to ride Indego to the Schuylkill River Trail, sit across from the Cira Centre at 30th Street and embrace how beautiful this city is. Please try it!

Why do you ride Indego? I ride Indego to gather my thoughts after a long day at work. I release stress and exercise at the same time. No gym membership necessary.

What views do you see on your ride? You see change and opportunities up close and personal. The kind of view that you'll never experience while riding in a car.

Any tips for new Indego riders? Be fearless!

How has Indego impacted your life and/or community? Indego has given me a new look on bike riding. I used to think of it as a way to exercise but now it's a part of my day to day routine.