The Pop-Up Bike Hub mini is the Ecology Action Centre's community bike repair hub on wheels! The 'mini' is an electric cargo bike that will collaborate with communities in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) to provide access to tools and bike repair knowledge.
The inspiration behind this project is the community partnerships from the 2020 and 2021 summer programming of the Pop-Up Bike Hub (PUBH) trailer. Due to the trailer's size and capacity restraints, we opted for a weekly drop-in model in two of the HRM communities to provide bike repairs where instead of the trailer, staff brought all necessary tools & supplies via motor vehicle to each location.
But we knew we could do better and wanted to demonstrate how utilitarian bikes can be! The Pop-Up Bike Hub mini is an electric, pedal assist cargo bike loaded with all the tools and supplies needed to continue to provide cycling repair resources and opportunities. The ‘mini’ produces far fewer GHG emissions and has increased our accessibility to urban neighbourhoods within a 45-minute ride from the EAC office.
The program's long-term goals are to build partnerships and relationships with communities in the HRM to increase equitable access to, and use of cycling. Through providing free and convenient access to bike repair knowledge and safe cycling education, we aim to foster a culture of active transportation via a mode of transportation that we champion.
Piloting in 2022, the PUBH mini has a full schedule with weekly drop-in sessions at five different community locations, as well as school camps and special events. If you see us zip by on the bright yellow cargo bike, cheer us on as we keep one more car off the road and assist hundreds of others to keep their bikes in working order.