Alumnus opens bike valet service in Portland
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Award-winning bike enthusiast Kiel Johnson BA ’09 recently teamed up with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to expand the school’s bike valet service to a full-blown rental and repair shop.
OHSU opened Go By Bike last year to serve students, faculty, and community members alike. Johnson, who ran a bike repair shop just down the road from OHSU last summer, now shares ownership of the valet-rental-repair service.
The collaboration between OHSU and Johnson will offer more services to commuters. “Besides valet parking, commuters now have Johnson’s repair services readily available in case they need help unexpectedly,” the Oregonian reported.
Johnson has been an active voice in the Portland bike community for many years, helping to transform North Portland’s Beach School, which had banned cycling due to safety concerns and has since come to embrace it. Last May, the Beach community set a new record with a 150-person bike train.
Johnson’s success and activism has been recognized by NBC and earned him an Alice Award from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance in recognition of his efforts to engage the community in cycling.
During his time at L&C, Johnson participated in SEED (Students Engaged in Eco-Defense) and organized the College of Arts and Sciences’ inaugural Eco-Olympics, which challenged students to decrease their energy consumption and take part in environmentally focused activities.
Zibby Pillote ’14 contributed to this story.
