LANCASTER,Pa. - The Lancaster Bike Ambassadors program has been around for about a decade. For the last two years the Lancaster City Alliance has been working with the group, Neighbors United, to expand the program.
According to the Lancaster City Alliance website,"Lancaster Bike Ambassadors patrol Northwest and Downtown Lancaster on foot and bicycle. Squad members perform three important functions to enhance the quality of life for people who live, work and visit this area of the City. They are trained to serve as community ambassadors, aiding people with directions and pointing out local amenities. Squad members also routinely identify nuisance issues such as excessive trash, graffiti and city maintenance issues. Importantly, because of their visibility, the squad acts as additional ‘eyes and ears’ in the community, providing an enhanced sense of security, often providing support, such as traffic control, to emergency responders."
Thanks to fundraising efforts the program has expanded into the Northeast side of the city. Neighbors United and Lancaster City Alliance worked together to raise the $65,000 needed.
"Now they can actually see it coming to fruition, but more than that it shows the community can have a big impact," said Noah Miller, Neighbors United.
The ambassadors now cover an additional 20 square blocks. Currently there are 12 full-time and about four part-time ambassadors.
"Whether you know you’re someone who has lived here for a longtime or are just visiting we want to make sure it is a friendly environment and people feel safe no matter what," said Jon Misner, Lancaster Bike Ambassador.