Everyone knows walking and biking are good for health, but sometimes it’s hard to know where the best places to walk and bike are in your neighborhood. This summer, to help Washington County residents find the best routes, Metro hosted guided walking and biking tours on routes from Metro and Kaiser Permanente’s new bilingual ¡Vámonos! maps of Cornelius, Forest Grove and Hillsboro.
Metro and community partners hosted more than a dozen ¡Vámonos! events in Washington County this spring and summer, engaging over 1,500 walkers and riders. The events highlighted the easy, family-friendly routes to explore by foot and by bike featured on the ¡Vámonos! maps.
Wrapping up this year’s events, Metro, Centro Cultural and the Washington County Bicycling Transportation Coalition (WashCo BTC) led adult and youth riders on a route around downtown Cornelius on Saturday, September 22. Attendees included families that live in Cornelius and residents taking classes at Centro Cultural.
Among the riders were two children, Dulce and Estrella Castilla, who were loaned bikes from WashCo BTC to participate in the ride. Although WashCo BTC doesn’t have a rental program, shop manager Tim Mitchelldyer found a few bikes and asked that the girls to come in before the ride to be fitted for the proper size. When Estrella hopped on her bicycle, Tim couldn’t get over her big smile. "She smiled and just kept smiling. I’ve never seen a child smile so big," said Tim.
Tim reported Estella’s infectious smile to others within the organization and suggested that the WashCo BTC give the bicycles to girls.
"It was not a hard decision to make," said Carl Nelson, board member and ride leader. "This is what the WashCo BTC enjoys doing – getting people, especially kids, on bicycles." In the case of Dulce and Estrella, the two girls received a bicycle and bike locks, an early holiday gift that will last for many years to come.
For three years, WashCo BTC has sponsored an Adopt-A-Bike program for the holidays to give bicycles to those who may not otherwise have one. Children, and some adults, receive a bicycle package consisting of a refurbished bicycle, a new helmet, a lock, and a two-hour skills course. In 2011, 54 bicycle packages were adopted.
This holiday season, WashCo BTC has a goal to provide a refurbished bike, a new CPSC certified helmet, a lock and a bike skills clinic to 50 children.