Nossa Bici (English)

Have you ever imagined a community bicycle system built collectively? This is “Nossa Bici”. A community mobility project designed and built together with the residents of the “Chacrinha - Vila Esperança” community in the “Alto Boqueirão” neighborhood in Curitiba, Brazil. The initiative comes from the “Democracia Popular” Institute - IDP

The project was born from real needs, such as the community’s difficult access to essential services like healthcare, education, and public transportation. The nearly 2 kilometer road that isolates the community, and also the state government’s negligence in denying school van access to the children.

The solution: to create, together with the community, a shared, public, and self-managed bicycle system. The project unfolds in five stages.

The first stage is the campaign to collect bicycles and accessories, where we managed to double the number of bicycles originally set as a goal.

The second stage was a basic mechanics workshop offered to the community, where existing bicycles were repaired, and the residents were trained on the subject. We also believe that this stage, like the others, is important for sensitizing about cycling mobility within the community.

The third stage was a co-creation workshop for the “Nossa Bici” system, where the community itself defined the rules for bicycle sharing, such as how controls would be managed, loan periods, and how to ensure the active participation of everyone involved.

The fourth stage was a collective effort to sort through the donated bicycles. At this point, parts and bicycles that could be useful were separated from those considered scrap. At this moment, the bicycles became a “frankstein”: parts from one were used in another, reusing as many components as possible to avoid waste and ensure the largest number of bicycles working.

The fifth and final stage was the system’s inauguration. With the presence of supporters and project volunteers alongside the community, we held a celebration and official launch of the project.

Fifteen bicycles were delivered, including adult and children’s bikes, a tricycle, bike racks, and also a maintenance space with a tool stand, locks, and other items to help with day-to-day bike repairs.

To this day, follow-ups are carried out with the community, since the “Democracia Popular” Institute also acts in other legal areas with the resident’s association.

The Institute continues to collect bicycles and donations, aiming one day to expand the project to other communities.