Allegheny County Air Quality Grant Recipient

We are very excited to be one of several organizations awarded funding through the Allegheny County Clean Air Fund to provide Air Quality Education and Pollution Prevention. Bicycling is in natural alignment with improved air quality. When you choose to commute using active transportation (your own 2 legs) over getting into a gas powered vehicle, you’re not only doing yourself a favor, but you’re doing our environment a favor too. While there is no question that air quality has improved since the hayday of the steel mills, Pittsburgh still has dangerously high levels of pollution in its air. And the quality of the air that we breath matters!

Collective Efforts to help build research around the state of Pittsburgh’s air and inform us on the impacts that bicycling can have on air quality improvement. This research will help Healthy Ride build an informed, data-supported argument for active transportation. The Allegheny County Air Quality Education grant brings with it the opportunity to educate the public throughout Pittsburgh on the state of Pittsburgh’s air and what we can do to improve our air quality. It will not be our intention to scare anyone or place blame, but to build awareness in our communities about the quality of the air that we breath and what that means for public health. We’ll also be promoting the use of active transportation as an impactful way to mitigate our individual impact on the city’s air. In order to do this work, we’re teaming up with local, woman-owned businessto help build research around the state of Pittsburgh’s air and inform us on the impacts that bicycling can have on air quality improvement. This research will help Healthy Ride build an informed, data-supported argument for active transportation.

DeLoJe to compose educational videos that will be mass distributed via sponsored social media posts across multiple platforms. Video content will help Healthy Ride distribute its messaging to a large population and educate multiple audiences on the state of our air and how individuals can help mitigate their impact through smart transportation choices. Healthy Ride will also be working with local, minority-owned and woman-owned media production companyto compose educational videos that will be mass distributed via sponsored social media posts across multiple platforms. Video content will help Healthy Ride distribute its messaging to a large population and educate multiple audiences on the state of our air and how individuals can help mitigate their impact through smart transportation choices.

Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP). Utilizing GASP’s air quality monitoring technology, Healthy Ride will host 4 group bike rides across multiple Pittsburgh neighborhoods to measure air quality. We look forward to releasing the schedule of these rides in May. Healthy Ride will also be bringing education to the roadways by partnering with. Utilizing GASP’s air quality monitoring technology, Healthy Ride will host 4 group bike rides across multiple Pittsburgh neighborhoods to measure air quality. We look forward to releasing the schedule of these rides in May.

Healthy Ride acknowledges that its impact of providing bicycles for public use is not without its own air quality impacts. In order to maintain the Healthy Ride fleet of 650 bicycles and 100+ stations, Healthy Ride utilizes a gasoline-powered transit van. To mitigate the impact of a growing bike share system, Healthy Ride has committed to purchasing an e-assist tricycle to help “rebalance” the bike share system. E-assist technology will make using a tricycle to transport multiple Healthy Ride bikes in a single trip a feasible option for maintain the bike share footprint.

Healthy Ride supports clean air. We’re excited to utilize these incredible awards to make direct impact in our communities and improve the air quality in our beautiful city. Please stay tuned for event updates and more information!