Last week, Bikesantiago installed B-cycle's largest station to date (31 docks) at the base of Costanera Center, the tallest building in South America. Attendees at the inauguration of the system launching in Providencia - one of Santiago's hippest and most bike friendly communities - included the Metropolitan Mayor, the Mayor of Providencia and Chile's Banco Itaú Regional Manager.
See below for the full press release.
The service will be part of the Bikesantiago network, which includes 13 other communities
Providencia will have a new public bike system starting December 10
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High standard bikes, automated stations, accident insurance, extended hours, GPS monitoring and access to the most modern intercommunity network of sustainable transportation in South America are some of the benefits that complement the new public bike system for Providencia, which was presented today by the Mayor Josefa Errázuriz.
This is a strong impetus to sustainable mobility for the community of Providencia beginning on December 10, when the new public bike system begins operation, a modern service will be integrated with 13 other communities of the Metropolitan Region and will allow its users to access the high standard bicycles, save time and money on the road, improve their quality of life, care for the environment and contribute to the decongestion of automobile traffic in the city.
This important change was announced by the Mayor of Providencia, Josefa Errazuriz, together with Alejandro Powell, CEO of Bcycle Latam, operator of Bikesantiago; and Boris Buvinic, General Manager of Banco Itaú, sponsor of Bikesantiago, who presented the first station that is implemented in the community, located at the Costanera Center mall, steps from the Tobalaba subway station.
"From Providencia we want to build a better coexistence and contribute to a more sustainable society, with healthier citizens. And this only is possible if we favor public transport, pedestrians and the bicycle”, said Mayor Josefa Errázuriz, proposing the need to think about these kinds of public policies at the Metropolitan level. "I am convinced that we need more inter-communal and metropolitan solutions, especially in regards to the direction of metropolitan transportation," said the community leader.
The general manager of Banco Itaú, Boris Buvinic, added that being part of this project aims to "promote the bicycle as a means of sustainable transport for the benefit of the community, contributing to improve the quality of life and make a more friendly and less polluted city of Santiago. With the launch of today, Bikesantiago is consolidated as a system of intercommunity transport, open to all persons who wish to use it and to which we hope to add more and more communities".
For his part, Alejandro Powell explained that Providencia joins the network of Bikesantiago which was inaugurated in October 2013 - already operating in Vitacura and Lo Barnechea - and ensures the same standard of quality and technology for all the inhabitants of the capital. "This is a public-private initiative that directly aims to deliver real benefit to all Santiagans, without distinction. We are convinced that riding a bike can positively change people's lives and with Bikesantiago all have at their reach the most efficient, safe, economical, and sustainable form of urban transport in the world. Together we are pedaling forward to help make the city that we desire a reality", stressed the CEO of Bcycle Latam.
Inter-communal network
In its first phase the new public bike system of Providencia will launch with 180 bikes and 18 stations, which will increase in the coming months to reach 600 bicycles and 40 stations by May of 2015. In total, the system will have 2,100 bicycles and 200 automated, solar-powered stations. It will operate 365 days a year, from 6.30 a.m. to 11 pm, which implies an important improvement over the current system [of public bicycles], which only ran Monday through Friday until 9 p.m., and Saturdays until 2 p.m., leaving users no service on Sundays and public holidays.
To use the service, it is not necessary to be a resident of Providencia: you only have to be 14 years of age or older to enroll at www.bikesantiago.cl, and opt for one of the available memberships starting at $4,990 Chilean Pesos a month. You can pay with a credit card from any bank, Rut or electronic transfer account, which includes a unique accident insurance and entitles you to unlimited travel, in lengths of up to 30 minutes each checkout.
The bicycles are of high standard and are equipped with three gears, internal brakes, Kevlar tires, LED lights and real-time GPS monitoring. The communities of Vitacura, Lo Barnechea, Providencia, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Macul, San Joaquín, La Florida, Lo Prado, Estación Central, Recoleta, Independencia, San Miguel, and Maipú will be united during 2015 with inter-communal Bikesantiago public bikeshare system.
The Mayor Josefa Errázuriz made an open invitation to those who live, study or work in Providencia "to utilize this new public bike system for a new perspective of the city and to contribute to the decongestion of our streets with a more sustainable transportation option and a healthier lifestyle".
Contacts:
Cecilia Vargas Sánchez
Chief of Press Municipality of Providencia
Mobile +56966170428
Email: ceciliavargas@providencia.cl
Daniel Trujillo Rivas
Manager of Communications and Marketing Bcycle LATAM
Mobile +569 67106995
Email: dtrujillo@bcyclelatam.com
From left: Alejandro Powell - CEO of Bcycle LATAM; Claudio Orrego - Superintendent for the Metropolitan Region; Josefa Errázuriz - Mayor of Providencia; Álvaro Wrobbel -Regional Director of Banco Itaú Chile.