*A bus tikit® TO RIDE* Bike Friday partners with Eugene LTD

A FRUITFUL three-way partnership between Bike Friday, a wholefoods grocery store and a local bike shop (see This little tikit® went to market) has led to another collaboration promoting inter-modal transportation: Bike Friday and the Lane Transit District bus service in Eugene, Oregon.

The project is the second successful collaboration with the wider business and local services community masterminded by Bike Friday Dealer Development director, Mike Bennett.

"I planted the seed with these organizations a long time ago, and kept them up to date with the ways our bikes were being used around the world as an adjunct to conventional transportation (see Multimedia with a Mission)," said Mike. "They eventually came around to the idea. It's a necessity."

"Buses only hold two bikes, so cyclists are being bumped from the bus if the racks are full," says Bike Friday Marketing Director Hanna Scholz, who is featured in the film.

"But with a folding bike such as the tikit®, commuters can take the bike on the bus and not worry about being stranded."

The partnership has two components. First, ads are placed inside the buses themselves, alerting commuters to the option - that buses and the Bike Friday folding bicycle are a natural match.

Then, there is a display in the lobby of the LTD depot similar to that in the Market of Choice collaboration.

"How much is the bike? - we get that a lot," said Mark, of LTD customer service. "Clearly, we're all about sustainable transportation, and this is a great way to enhance what we offer and stay fit while you're doing it."

In the attached video, Bike Friday staff Hanna and Ruthy Kanagy show how easily the tikit® is ridden to the bus stop, folded, carried as least as unobstrusively as a stroller, unfolded and ridden to its destination.

"It really does solve the last mile problem," says Hanna. "That is, bridging the gap between your home and the bus stop, then the bus stop and your destination. We call this an intermodal solution. It also extends your commute radius substantially when you can combine your transportation options in this way. "

Would you like to see a tikit® to ride on the local buses in your area? Please tell them about this project, point them to this page and contact Mike Bennett.

"It's a win, win, win, win situation," says Hanna. "Good for the commuter, the bus, the planet, and Bike Friday too."