Bike and bus pass incentive proposed

A proposed city program could soon offer Santa Feans even more incentive to hop on a bike.

Specifics are still being worked out but, under a resolution sponsored by City Councilor Carmichael Dominguez, the idea is that residents who buy or fix up a bicycle would be eligible for a free bus pass on Santa Fe Trails.

The program would “encourage residents to live automobile-free which is in the best interest of the public health and the environment of the city of Santa Fe,” the draft measure says.

Dominguez said the resolution is aimed at south-Santa Fe residents in particular, and is part of a larger, ongoing initiative aimed at improving quality of life in the south-side community.

“There’s also the environmental component, where we get people outdoors and using bikes instead of vehicles, and (encourage) public transportation at the same time,” Dominguez said.

He acknowledged that the program would be for new bike owners, and not necessarily an across-the-board benefit for current cyclists. Those seeking a bus pass will probably need to show an affidavit from a bike store or repair shop, he said.

“The intent is to get more people and new people on bikes and to use public transportation also,” Dominguez said.

The realities of living in Santa Fe mean that lower-income people are often forced to move to the southern reaches of town, where amenities and work opportunities are scarcer, said Tomás Rivera, executive director of Chainbreaker Collective, which describes itself as an economic and environmental justice organization.

Chainbreaker has provided over 1,000 bikes to low-income people through its “hands-on” Bicycle Resource Center.

Many of the people the group works with can’t afford to use both a bike and the bus, Rivera said

“People are saying this will help them ride their bikes and the bus more often. It really benefits people who are struggling with transportation costs and it helps the community with the environment,” he said.

The Chainbreaker Collective initially approached Dominguez with the idea of a bike-and-bus pass program. “The initial focus is people really teetering on the edge of poverty because of transportation,” Rivera said.

He said the proposed city program would be a step toward some progressive thinking about how Santa Fe should handle future development and transportation policy.

It’s still unclear how the city would fund the program. The resolution directs city staff to come up with program guidelines and a funding source within two months of approval by the city council.

The proposal is slated to go before the city’s Bicycle and Trails Advisory Committee on April 17.