Colorful art bikes will soon be rolling throughout North Adams thanks to a collaboration between the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition (nbCC) & MASS MoCA. The organizations have teamed up to paint a fleet of bicycles that will be used as a community bike-share system in North Adams. 

Jes, MassBike’s Communications Coordinator, stopped by their final painting event to learn more about the project. She chatted with Jessi Bryne, the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition’s Health and Wellness Coordinator, who said the hope is to launch the bike share next Spring. The initial plan is for about five stations in town for community members and visitors alike to access the bicycles. While these bicycles will be rolling art, part of the idea was to make the bike share fleet recognizable as they move around town. Several youth artists contributed to the project, utilizing spray paint and paint pens to create colorful creations ranging from strawberry-themed to eye-popping neon color blocking. Jes was able to lend a hand in adding a few extra embellishments to two frames when she joined the art bike volunteers at the North Adams Amory.

This upcoming bike share is just one piece of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition’s bicycle-oriented programming. The nbCC Bike Collective hosts weekly open shop hours on Wednesdays from 4:00-6:00PM in the basement and parking lot of the North Adams Armory. During their open shop hours, they operate an earn-a-bike program, where people can volunteer their time to receive a bicycle.

The nbCC Bike Collective also leads a Downtown Bike Around ride during North Adams First Fridays. For 2023, there are two more Downtown Bike Around rides scheduled, one on Friday, September 1st, and a costume bike ride on Friday, October 6th. The rides meet on Eagle Street and are for riders of all ages. The Northern Berkshire Community Coalition is looking for more volunteers to help lead the Downtown Bike Around rides, if you’re interested, you can reach out to the nbCC Health and Wellness Coordinator, Jessi Byrne, at [email protected].