Before Sandy Bishop founded this Community Chapter, she didn’t think of herself as a cyclist. Now she and a core group of volunteers offer trishaw rides on the tree lined multi-use path that traces the historic B&A rail line between Baltimore and Annapolis. Their chapter is a program of BikeAAA, a regional bike advocacy organization.
3 Trishaw
8 Core Pilot
200 Rides per year
$2000 Annual Budget
Came across CWA while looking for mobility options for her daughter with disabilities.
Approached BikeAAA to see if they would help start a chapter, they said yes.
Got a grant that funded their first trishaw.
Started working with caregivers for adults with disabilities to book rides.
Got two additional trishaws to keep up with community demand for rides.
Exist as a program of BikeAAA
Funded by local and regional grants
Offer rides at three senior living facilities
Trishaws maintained by pilots who are professional mechanics
Transport trishaws using a trailer pulled by Sandy’s minivan
Attracted pilots through outreach by BikeAAA, social media posts, news articles, and spreading the word to those who they see on the trail.
They trained 35 pilots in 2024, but have a group of 6-8 core pilots who do most of the rides.
The pilot(s) assigned to a ride day go to the senior living facility where their trishaws are housed.
After helping their older adult riding partner onto the trishaw, they head out on the B&A trail, a former railway line that has been converted into a multi-use trail.
Along the way, they wave to passing runners and cyclists and stop to smell the flowers. Puppies and families are a favorite bright spot for their riding partners.
Participate in local 4th of July Parade
Decorate their trishaw with pumpkin garlands for Halloween.
Take the trishaws to local schools to teach kids about the program and its benefits for the older adults in their community.
Uses the Book2Go service set up by Cycling Without Age to manage all of their ride bookings.
Staff at their partner facilities can log on and schedule their residents for rides.
Pilots can then sign up for rides directly.
