Transportation

A bike activist gets in gear

By Taylor Smith

Eli Cayer is a man on a mission. Whereas many Portland activist-types are interested in educating folks about Mumia Abu-Jamal or the Navy's wanton strafing of Vieques, Cayer just wants to ride a bike. And he wants others to see the beauty of bicycling in and around our fair city: "I want to get people out there, off the couch, just doing something."

As the owner of The Hub, a self-service bicycle repair shop that doubles as headquarters for the bike messengers of Rapid Courier, Cayer just may get that chance. There are some big ideas floating around The Hub's small Oak St. storefront -- all spinning around the central theme of promoting bicycles as educational tools and simple and effective means of transportation.

Cayer, with the help of many other two-wheeled visionaries, is working to set up a host of new programs that will get the community involved with their vision of a more bike-friendly greater Portland. Here's a sampling of some of the ideas they're wheeling around at The Hub:

Earn-a-bike program: With a nod to the Roxbury, MA-based non-profit group Bikes-Not-Bombs (which has a similar program in place), The Hub wants to give away bikes to kids who earn them through a work-study program at the shop. Cayer hopes to educate youths and build awareness about the surrounding environment by having them spend time at the shop learning about bicycle repair and safety. "You've got to be very aware when you ride a bike," he says, "and that awareness can help connect you to your surroundings, whether by helping you to recognize the trash on the streets, the smog in the air, or the car that's about to cut you off."

Free bike cabs: One of the best -- and most regal -- ways to get home from the Old Port is to sit in the back of a 200-pound white carriage while a driver pedals you to your door. The bike cabs of Portland, which made their debut last spring, are still somewhat of a novelty in downtown Portland. But we'll be seeing a lot more of them if Cayer gets his way. He hopes to find a way -- whether through a grant for alternative transportation or other means -- to operate the cabs as a free service. Cayer is optimistic that bike cabs zipping folks around Portland can become a commonplace sight, and -- a somewhat loftier goal -- "could reduce the number of cars on the peninsula."

Cayer is bouncing around a few more ideas as well, including a renewed effort to start a loaner bike program in Portland. With this initiative, specially marked bikes would be available to jump on and ride, and then left for the next person. Though such an idea was tried -- and eventually failed -- in Portland a few years ago, Cayer would like to make it a reality. Beginning October 1, the Hub also will start a downtown food delivery service, giving lazy diners more choices than the common pizza-and-subs fare that dominates the delivery scene.

When asked what prompted him to take action and get the gears in motion for a bicycle renaissance in Portland, Cayer replies, "It's just a gut feeling. It seems like the right thing to be doing."