MARTA Crowdfunds Bike Repair Facilities Near Stations

"Last month, [MARTA] turned to a crowd-sourcing platform to raise more than $4,000 to help fund three bike-repair kiosks that will be installed at MARTA rail stations," reports Julie Sneider. The kiosks will contain everything a biker needs to do basic bike repairs.

The kiosks are meant to attract more bike riders to public transit (and vice versa, according to Sneider's coverage of the facility.

"To get its venture started, MARTA turned to IOBY, a nonprofit organization that offers what its website describes as a 'crowd-resourcing' platform for citizen-led projects aimed at improving local neighborhoods. In addition to raising funds, the organization helps pull together other resources necessary to make improvements." For the record, IOBY stands for "In Our Backyard."

As for the success of MARTA's adventure into crowdfunding, "the agency not only met its fund-raising goal of $4,000, it exceeded it. The final sum raised was $4,542, which qualified the project to receive $4,000 in matching dollars from the TransitCenter." 

IOBY is the same organization that worked with the TransitCenter in New York City to launch "Trick Out My Trip," which Sneider describes as "a program that provides up to $4,000 in matching funds for small neighborhood projects intended to make public transit easier, safer and more fun to use. Project examples include mini libraries at bus stops and community gardens at train stations." Sarah Goodyear reported on the "Trick Out My Trip" project for Next City in September.