Chainbreaker was founded in 2004 by a small group of people who shared a similar problem and a common belief in collective action to change circumstances. That problem was lack of transportation.
For our first 4 years, we focused on providing refurbished bikes and teaching mechanic skills to people without access to transportation. The project eventually evolved into our Bicycle Resource Center program.
In 2008, the economic collapse and soaring gas prices brought the realities of transit and housing injustices to the forefront of more and more people’s lives. We responded by expanding our focus past bicycles and began to engage in community organizing. We built a membership based in communities directly impacted by poor transportation infrastructure and urban sprawl so that we could address the root causes of transportation injustice. Today, we have a strong membership base of bicyclists and transit dependent bus riders who are actively working to better their lives through collective action.
Through that action, we have won several important victories for our community.
Over the years, we have changed the way that people think about transportation, civil rights and environmental justice in Santa Fe. Through person to person conversations, we have helped make the connections between gentrification, poor transportation infrastructure, poverty and environmental problems while bridging the economic divide that often excludes low-income people and people of color from participating in solutions. Chainbreaker members continue to work tirelessly to transform lives and policies while providing education and immediate transportation solutions for thousands of working people in Santa Fe.