Revive Rides: Turning an Idea Into Something Real

Revive Cycles started as an idea. Revive Rides is what that idea looks like in the real world.

This program is meant to take what we’ve been talking about and actually put it into motion. Not in theory, but in a way that works day to day for real people.

Revive Cycles as a whole is built to support a wide range of people who need better access to transportation. That includes students, people with disabilities, and anyone without consistent access to a reliable way to move. Revive Rides is more focused. This pilot is centered around people in recovery and individuals coming out of reentry programs who are working to rebuild stability in their lives.

That’s where reliable transportation becomes critical. Not just getting around, but having control. Being able to show up consistently, take opportunities when they come, and not be limited by a system that doesn’t always work around you.

This program is focused on the 82nd corridor. That stretch of road has been one of the most heavily used and historically overlooked parts of Portland. For years, it functioned more like a state highway than a community street, even though people live, work, and move through it every day. It has also been one of the city’s higher crash corridors, which is part of why there’s now so much attention on it.

That’s starting to change.

The city took ownership of 82nd Avenue in 2022, which opened the door for long-term investment and redesign. Since then, there’s been a significant push to improve safety, transit, and accessibility along the corridor.

There is real money going into this.

Tens of millions are already being invested into sidewalks, crossings, lighting, and transit improvements, with additional funding coming through the Portland Clean Energy Fund and other public sources. Longer term, the corridor is expected to see hundreds of millions in investment tied to housing, infrastructure, and economic development.

The focus right now is heavily on infrastructure. Making the road safer. Improving transit. Building out the physical space.

Revive Rides is meant to exist alongside that, but at a different level.

Not just improving the road, but improving how people actually move through their day on it.

We’re starting by looking at organizations already doing work in this area. Groups like the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, The Peer Company, and Northwest Regional Re-entry Center are examples of organizations working directly with people in recovery, transition, and community support.

These organizations are not currently part of this program. They are simply part of the ecosystem that already exists along the corridor. Some may become partners, some may not, but the goal is to understand the work that’s already happening and build alongside it, not on top of it.

At the same time, bikes have already been coming in. Donations from people around the city that would have otherwise gone unused. Those bikes are being rebuilt and converted into electric bikes specifically for this program.

That’s a key part of this. The supply already exists. It just needs to be redirected.

This pilot is also supported financially through the Portland Clean Energy Fund. That support makes it possible to actually build this out and test it in real conditions.

From here, the success of the program depends on a few things. Continued bike donations, strong relationships with organizations, and making sure the bikes that go out are reliable and actually hold up over time.

As more bikes come in and more people get connected, the program becomes more visible and more viable. That’s what creates the opportunity to expand this into something much larger.

This is the first phase. A pilot, meant to be tested in real conditions, with real people, and adjusted as needed.

As the program moves forward, updates will be shared here. Not just about the process, but about the people involved and what this actually looks like in practice.

Next Steps

Have a bike sitting unused? Let’s put it to work

Work with people or organizations in the 82nd corridor? Let’s connect

Want to support what we’re building? Get involved