New Columbia is a beautiful 82 acre mixed-income community in North Portland’s Portsmouth Neighborhood. It is home to more than 2,500 adults and children speaking 11 languages, representing 22 countries.
In 2010 we began meeting with a group residents to organize bicycle activities. As the interest in bicycling grew at New Columbia, so has the need for basic bike repair. The residents dreamed of having a space where they could store tools, bicycle parts, and equipment, while helping community members repair bikes. At the same time, the community expressed a need for a safe place where young kids could safely ride their bicycles. From these two ideas the concept of a Bike Repair Hub and Skills Park was born. What was once a vacant lot is a now a vibrant space for neighbors to learn, connect, and participate in healthy activities.
The Bike Repair Hub is a place where residents of New Columbia can get access to affordable bike repair, training, and participate in our Build-a-Bike program. Staffed by Community Cycling Center professional mechanics and hardworking volunteers, the Bike Repair Hub is a great resource for the community. Learn more in the stop-motion video below.
In 2014, responding to violence in the streets of Portland, community activists Jason Washington and DeMarcus Preston decided to gather a group of people for a bike ride to “take back the streets.” They reached out to the Community Cycling Center for support. This collaboration sparked a robust and powerful grassroots movement. Learn more in the video below.
New Columbia In the News
Healing wounds of gentrification – The Portland Observer, July 19, 2016
Community Cycling Center: Catalyst Award Winner – The League of American Bicyclists, June 24, 2016
Portland Sunday Parkways in North Portland this Sunday – PBOT, June 23, 2016
New Columbia’s Bike Repair Hub wants your help to double its hours – BikePortland, June 16, 2016
A community on bikes rallies against violence in the streets of north Portland – BikePortland, August 25, 2014
Take Back the Streets ride addresses gang violence – KOIN, August 24, 2014
Take Back the Streets ride protests gang violence – Portland Tribune, August 24, 2014
Take Back the Streets – KBOO, August 22, 2014