Seven customized bike racks and three bike fix-it stations have been donated and installed for public use throughout Adams County. Funding for the racks came from a grant through the Adams County Creating Healthy Communities Program. The hoop style racks have been installed in several villages, including West Union, Manchester and Peebles. More racks are available and hope to be installed in other locations throughout the county, including Seaman, Locust Grove, the Amish Community and Winchester.
The complete fix-it stations were also installed in West Union, Manchester and Peebles. These fix-it stations have all the necessary tools to perform most routine maintenance and adjustments on most bikes. All the tools are securely fastened with stainless steel cables and tamper-proof fasteners.
The Adams County Creating Healthy Community Program was awarded the monies to promote active commute/transportation and in support of upcoming bike trails being developed throughout the State of Ohio, furthering the county’s growing active lifestyle reputation.
“I am proud of the work of our partner Coalition, the Adams County Creating Healthy Communities Coalition, for working to serve the citizens of Adams County,” said Leeann Puckett, Adams County Health and Wellness Coalition Chairperson. “This is a great example of Coalitions and its members working together, engaging in their community and being facilitators for a healthier community.”
“The project idea came from identifying a need for public bike parking in each community as we continue our work to provide accessible active living opportunities,” reports Holly Johnson, Adams County Economic and Community Development Director. “We started our active living strategies by installing fit trails, establishing needed sidewalks, and developing walk paths. We are grateful that the Creating Health Communities Program was able to help us serve our bicycling residents. We had been approached by local citizens who felt more bike friendly infrastructure was needed, and this is our first project addressing bicycling and active commute.”
“The project was an exciting one for us,” says Creating Healthy Communities Coordinator, Debbie Ryan. “Through Creating Healthy Communities, we strive to make it easy for people to make the healthy choice, both in terms of physical activity and healthy eating. Providing secure bike parking in our main Village corridors assures cyclists that when they ride into their downtowns to do their local business or simply enjoy the local amenities, there will be a safe, easy, convenient place for them to park their bikes.”
The seven racks were installed by each village in locations adjacent to the main thoroughfare and/or areas where many convene. Some villages chose to customize their racks by painting them a color that matched that of their local high school.  The Village Councils and staff in their respective villages worked to install the bike racks and fix-it stations.
Creating Healthy Communities (CHC) is committed to preventing and reducing chronic disease statewide. Through cross-sector collaboration, we are activating communities to improve access to and affordability of healthy food, increase opportunities for physical activity, and assure tobacco-free living where Ohioans live, work and play. By implementing sustainable evidence-based strategies, CHC is creating a culture of health, making the healthy choice the easy choice.
The Adams County Creating Healthy Communities Program (ACCHCP) is funded by the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and administered by the Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Healthy Ohio, Creating Healthy Communities Program. The ACCHCP is administered through the Manchester Local School District.