The Bike Oasis includes a bicycle share program offered for free to the community. Ten Cross 7-speed bikes are available to borrow through the On Bike Share app service at no cost to the user. The bikes were purchased as part of a grant received from The Bloomfield Greater Together Community Fund which seeks to fund projects that benefit the community and residents of the town. The fund was established in 2019 by The Hartford Foundation for Giving and is managed by a committee made up of Bloomfield residents.
The Paul Hughes Memorial Bike Oasis was dedicated on June 5, 2022 with a ribbon cutting, revealing a renovated out-building on the church grounds, which will be used exclusively for a bicycle program to be offered to the community by the church. Paul was an avid cyclist, Bloomfield resident and longtime member of Old St. Andrew’s Church. In 2014, Paul was struck by a pickup truck while cycling along a section of Rt. 189. His family and the church have dedicated the Bike Oasis in his name and have installed a full-service bike repair station which is available to use by cyclists in the area. We also offer the use of our buildings and outdoor space as a respite for bikers and walkers where water and restrooms are available.
Old St. Andrew’s Church started their bike ministry in 2018 when a section of the East Coast Greenway bike path was built running directly across the street. OSA joined the The League of American Bicyclist, where we are a Bronze member and listed as an official bike friendly business.