Ride a bike (and reduce waste!) with BICAS

Located in the heart of downtown Tucson, BICAS (Bicycle Inter-Community Action & Salvage) is a collectively run community education and recycling center for bicycles that welcomes people of all ages and walks of life. BICAS first started in 1990 as an organization called Bootstraps to Share of Tucson, Inc. A group of like-minded community members came together to assist and empower the homeless population in Tucson by helping them attain work, shelter, food, and transportation. Before long, the organization determined that the greatest impact that they could have on the homeless community was to provide recycled bicycles and the skills needed to maintain them, figuring sustainable transportation leads to sustainable work. Thus, BICAS came into existence in 1994 and we have since extended our bicycle recycling, advocacy and education programs out to the entire community.

We have trained tens of thousands of youth and adults in the trade of bicycle refurbishing, maintenance, and safety, and recycled and saved nearly fifty thousand bicycles from the waste stream. Our unique approach and innovative programs, which solicit participation from the entire community, include:

• “Build-a-Bike” and basic maintenance workshops that teach the refurbishing and maintenance of bicycles and safe riding skills while integrating problem-solving and inter-generational/cultural understanding;
• A Work Trade Program that enables all community members, regardless of economic circumstances, to work for shop credit while learning and contributing to the collective;
• A rebuilding center and community tool area to encourage community members to become avid learners and advocates for sustainable transportation while fixing their own bike or building one up from our donated bikes and parts; 
• Collaborative public art projects and community workshops that utilize recycled bicycle parts; and
• Volunteer or community service opportunities that engage community members in BICAS operations, enhance all aspects of our operations, and provide opportunities to give something back to the community.

BICAS serves approximately 5,000 unduplicated individuals per year from the greater community of Tucson, particularly the inner-city neighborhoods. To learn more about the programs available through BICAS, visit www.bicas.org.

Learn from more Community Models

Education and Resources

Bicycle Safety Classes (City of Tucson and Pima County)

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

Tucson Bike Map available here

SunTran Tucson transit service

SunVan Tucson paratransit service

Cat Tran University of Arizona transit service

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Community Partners

Tucson-Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee

The Tucson-Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee (TPCBAC) was established to serve in an advisory capacity to local governments on issues relating to bicycle recreation, transportation, and safety.

Pima Association of Governments

• RideShare

• Travel Reduction Program

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