Biking, Walking & Rolling

Bike Donations

Submit the Bicycle Donation Form to donate a bicycle. Donated bicycles will support our community programs. Please complete this form to provide us with essential details about the bicycle you wish to donate.

By submitting this form, you confirm that you are the rightful owner and that the bicycle is in good, safe, working condition.

Note: during non-winter months, we typically find a home for a bicycle within 0-8 weeks. Due to storage limitations, we request that bicycles remain in their current location until a suitable match is found.

Bike Requests

Submit this Bicycle Request Form to request a bicycle from our bicycle donation program. Bicycles are distributed selectively, taking into account individual circumstances on a case-by-case basis. This approach allows us to tailor our support to each individual's unique needs, ensuring our resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact.

We'll only contact you if a suitable bicycle is available. Due to high demand, we will not be able to fulfill every request. No contact doesn't mean your request was unsuccessful; it may indicate that no bicycles are available.

The City of Rochester has three bike racks (offering up to 16 parking spaces) available for community events to rent free of charge. The bike racks are also available to community organizations, businesses, nonprofits, etc., who would like to pilot bike parking in front of their establishment. This provides an option to test bike parking before committing funds to permanent bicycle infrastructure. To request use of a bike rack, please fill out this Bike Rack Request Form.

The Rochester Police Department encourages owners to register their bicycles. If a theft occurs, having your bike registered will increase the likelihood of its return if it is recovered. Bicycle registration is free. 

Complete the online registration form to register your bike. You will need the make, model and serial number of your bicycle.

Bicycles are good for businesses and their employees. The Bicycle Friendly America Program provides recognition and guidance for states, communities, universities and businesses to showcase and enhance their bicycle-friendliness. The program provides a practical blueprint, hands-on assistance, and resources to help make places better for bicycling. Through the Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB℠) program, businesses and employers are recognized for their efforts to encourage a more welcoming atmosphere for bicycling employees, customers and the community.

How can I apply?

The League of American Bicyclists facilitates this application: more information about becoming a Bike Friendly Business is available on their website.

Why should my business apply to become a Bicycle Friendly Business?

When bicycling is infused in an office or corporate culture, great things happen. People who are encouraged to commute by bike to and from work, run errands by bike, take a spin at lunchtime, or bike in their leisure time perform better at their jobs because they’re energized and alert.

Studies have shown that people who lead an active lifestyle incur significantly lower health care costs. Since employers typically pay a significant portion of health care costs, it benefits employers and employees to promote healthy living. A healthy workforce also reduces absenteeism.

Businesses that promote bicycling are recognized for their green and socially responsible practices. They are conscious of their carbon footprint, aware of their impact on the environment, and are willing to think and act creatively in order to improve the quality of life for employees, their families and the greater community. A Bicycle Friendly Business attracts and retains employees because people want to be part of a positive environment.

The Bicycle Friendly Business program also provides technical assistance on becoming more bicycle-friendly. The program offers great resources to help improve a business’s bicycling accessibility, promotion and awareness within the workplace.

Rochester community members and local leaders can organize their own bike and walk audits! Local leaders and residents can help make their neighborhoods more walkable by conducting “walk audits” and “bike audits” to identify the roads and intersections that should be walkable and crossable but are instead dangerous (by design) for people who walk, bike, and roll. These community-led audits can help inform local decision-making by prioritizing areas in need of improvement and educating community members about the importance of street and sidewalk design. The results of a community walk and bike audit can educate local decision-makers and provide them with the needed data, solutions and strategies for achieving change.

AARP has created a free step by step approach for anyone to learn how to assess and report on the safety of their neighborhood streets, sidewalks, and crossings.

• Walk Audit Toolkit
• Bike Audit Toolkit

The mission of the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP) in the City of Rochester is to respond to requests for traffic calming to influence driver behavior, improve neighborhood safety and quality of life, and create quieter, more livable local streets.

How it works: The Rochester Public Works Division works closely with neighborhood residents to identify traffic concerns, conduct appropriate studies to quantify problems, develop criteria for prioritizing projects and implement solutions to address safety concerns and reduce traffic speeds. Traffic calming will improve the safety of all road users and create more pleasant neighborhoods for Rochester residents.

More information can be found on the Traffic webpage.

The Rochester Community Bike Club (“Pata de Perro”) is a non-profit, volunteer-run community workshop where residents can find tools and guidance to work on their own bikes. Their mission is to mentor youth and adults in the community on the skills and education needed to maintain their own bicycles and ride safely.

Since 2019, Lime has provided the City with shared micromobility services. For more information or troubleshooting when using a Lime scooter or e-bike, please visit Lime's webpage.

Riding Rules:

Where to ride: Scooters and e-bikes cannot be used on public sidewalks. Scooters and e-bikes must be used in the roadway, in a bicycle lane, or on a multi-use trail. Furthermore, the use of these vehicles is prohibited in the skyway system.

Where to park: All Scooters and e-bikes must follow parking rules and restrictions on the public right-of-way. Scooters and bikes must be parked upright and stabilized with the kickstand. Scooters and bikes need to be left in designated areas, as noted above, and in other cases on the boulevard area between the sidewalk and the curb.

All Lime scooters and e-bikes have a QR code on the vehicle frame that allows anyone with a smartphone to report an abandoned vehicle. Lime's goal is to collect reported devices within 72 hours. Residents are encouraged to assist the City and Lime in reporting vehicles that appear abandoned for long periods. 

Any lock can be broken, given enough time and the right tools, but there are ways to reduce theft risk:

1. If possible, take your bike indoors. Your next best option is to lock it so you can still see it. Otherwise, lock your bike in a highly visible, well-lit area as close to your destination as possible.
2. Always lock your bike, even if you are only going to be gone for a minute. Stealing an unlocked or improperly locked bike only takes a few seconds.
3. Take anything removable with you – unlocked wheels, seats, computers, lights, bike bags, etc. If you can remove it, so can a thief.