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  • El Paso Electric Becomes First Title Sponsor for SunCycle Bike Share Program

    by BCycle | Aug 26, 2021

     

    El Paso Electric Becomes First Title Sponsor for SunCycle Bike Share Program

    EL PASO, Texas - August 26, 2021SunCycle is delighted to announce their first title sponsorship with El Paso Electric that will help support its current bike share operation starting in 2021.

    With this investment, the SunCycle bike share program will continue to provide a clean energy transportation alternative that also promotes a healthy and active lifestyle.

    “The SunCycle bike sharing program mobilizes various incredibly important values for our community that we share at El Paso Electric such as equitable transportation, economic development and community engagement,” said El Paso Electric President and CEO Kelly A. Tomblin. “Our commitment as the inaugural sponsor of this program is an integral extension to our initiative to create awareness and accessibility to cleaner, sustainable forms of transportation that will overall improve the health of the families and community we proudly serve.”

    “SunCycle is very excited to have El Paso Electric as SunCycle’s title sponsor” said Raymond Telles, Executive Director of the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority, the agency that owns and operates the El Paso SunCycle bike share program. “It isn’t lost on us that El Paso Electric started as a transportation company, eventually focusing on power generation that 120 years later now supports our bike share program. We’re looking forward to a long relationship with El Paso Electric powering SunCycle, including our expanding portfolio of electric assist bikes.”

    “SunCycle operations is thrilled that El Paso Electric has signed on as the first title sponsor of our program. Through this partnership SunCycle will continue to offer our community a bike share system that provides a clean and reliable transportation and recreation option and we welcome El Paso Electric to the team!” said Cesar Martinez, General Manager of SunCycle.

    About the Camino Real Regional Authority:

    The Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority (CRRMA) is a transportation agency of the State of Texas. Created in 2007, the CRRMA has provided a range of design, construction, and finance services which have advanced strategically important mobility projects across the Paso del Norte Region including the I-10/Loop 375 Americas Interchange, Border West Expressway, Spur 601, El Paso Streetcar Project, and SunCycle Bike Share Program. The CRRMA can construct, maintain, and operate transportation facilities across jurisdictional lines including in New Mexico and Chihuahua. For more information, visit CRRMA.org.

    About El Paso Electric:

    El Paso Electric is a regional electric utility providing generation, transmission, and distribution service to approximately 444,300 retail and wholesale customers in a 10,000-square mile area of the Rio Grande valley in West Texas and Southern New Mexico.

    About BCycle LLC:

    Headquartered in Waterloo, WI, BCycle LLC develops and delivers best-in-class bike share systems and is committed to providing an environmentally sustainable transportation alternative for cities. BCycle believes that bike share is the bicycle’s role in public transit and is on a mission to change the world by getting more people on bikes. BCycle, a fully owned subsidiary of Trek Bicycle, partners with organizations across the country to deliver community-based bike share. For more information, visit bcycle.com.

  • BCYCLE TO CONTINUE IN BOULDER WITH FULLY ELECTRIC FLEET

    by BCycle | Aug 17, 2021

     
       

    City of Boulder selects BCycle LLC, long-time partner of Boulder Bike Sharing, as exclusive bike share provider


    BOULDER, CO – August 16, 2021 The City of Boulder, in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder County, the Boulder Chamber, has selected BCycle to continue as the exclusive bike share provider in Boulder. As part of this new contract, BCycle LLC, a subsidiary of Trek Bicycle, will convert the bike share fleet to all pedal assist e-bikes and acquire the local nonprofit Boulder Bike Sharing (BBS).

    For the past decade, BCycle LLC has partnered with BBS to provide reliable and affordable bike share trips to the community and its visitors. Previously, BBS leased its software and purchased its equipment from BCycle. Going forward, BCycle will directly own and operate Boulder BCycle. Members of the nonprofit staff will retain their positions as part of the Boulder BCycle team.

    “The Boulder Bike Sharing Board of Directors thanks the Boulder community for supporting more than a decade of local nonprofit bike sharing, and we’re excited for where the Boulder BCycle system is headed under BCycle,” said Michael-Ryan McCarty, BBS Board Co-Chair.         

    “BCycle is thrilled to build upon the solid foundation that Boulder Bike Sharing has developed in the community over the past decade,” said Morgan Ramaker, Executive Director of BCycle. “With an all e-bike fleet, we’re eager to take that service to the community to the next level, providing a meaningful transportation alternative to get more people on bikes and out of cars.”

    As part of the transition, Boulder BCycle will convert its bike fleet to all pedal-assist e-bikes. E-bikes were first introduced in the Boulder BCycle system earlier this year, and ridership for 2021 is on track to be more than double any previous year. Additionally, Boulder BCycle will expand the current system to provide convenient access to shared e-bikes for more community members, including new stations in key areas and underserved neighborhoods.  

    Boulder BCycle will operate as part of the City’s new Shared Micrombility Program for Boulder, in partnership with the City of Boulder, the University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder County, the Boulder Chamber, and Lime. The new program will provide important mobility options that can replace single-occupant vehicle trips and enable first- and final-mile trips to and from transit stops. Boulder’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP) and Climate Commitment seeks to reduce vehicle trips and related emissions and shared micromobility devices are a key component of the city’s multimodal system.  

    “We’re excited to launch this Shared Micromobility Program and provide more options for our community members to get where they need to go, whether for work, school or errands,” said Transportation and Mobility Department Director Erika Vandenbrande. “Transportation is one of the leading emitters of greenhouse gases and shared electric bikes and scooters make it easier - and more fun! - to skip a car trip and get around in a greener way.”

    About BCycle
    Headquartered in Waterloo, WI, BCycle LLC develops and delivers best-in-class bike share systems and is committed to providing an environmentally sustainable transportation alternative for cities. BCycle believes that bike share is the bicycle’s role in public transit and is on a mission to change the world by getting more people on bikes. BCycle, a fully owned subsidiary of Trek Bicycle, operates bike share systems in Boulder, CO, Broward County, FL, Greenville, SC, Madison, WI, Nashville, TN, San Antonio, TX, and Santa Barbara, CA, and partners with organizations across the country to deliver community-based bike share. For more information, visit bcycle.com.

  • Nashville BCycle is Back

    by BCycle | Aug 03, 2021

    NashvilleBCycleisBack
    Bike share returns to Nashville with all-electric bike fleet 


    Nashville, TN – July 30, 2021 – Nashvillians celebrated the return of bike share with an inaugural e-bike ride this week on July 28. Hosted by Nashville BCycle the event included remarks by Lindsey Ganson from Walk-Bike Nashville and Council Member Freddie O’Connell, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a short e-bike ride. 

    “We have missed Nashville BCycle dearly – we know a bikeshare program is a great way to provide bikes to more people in an affordable way,” said Lindsey Ganson, Director of Advocacy for Walk/Bike Nashville. “We really see this as an opportunity to allow more  Nashvillians to try an e-bike and see how they can fit it into their daily lives with spontaneous trips or even their commute.” 

    Ganson added that Metro Nashville has a strategic plan for sidewalks and bikeways within the city, calling for “91 miles of protected and low stress bikeways.” 

    “There couldn’t be a better time for this [launch]. We know that interest in biking shot up during the COVID-19 pandemic as people were looking for ways to find outdoor recreation and using active transportation.” said Council Member Freddie O’Connell. “This is also perfect in a Nashville sense: Just last week we launched a Nashville Department of Transportation. I hope that this is a sign that we are getting serious about equitable, multimodal infrastructure in Nashville.”  

    After Wednesday’s event, the relaunch of Nashville BCycle began at select stations. Nashville BCycle riders can renew their previous memberships in the BCycle mobile app or online at nashville.bcycle.com. Riders can choose from a number of available pass types for riding to fit their routine and riding needs. 

    Nashville BCycle, under the management of BCycle LLC, will continue to operate in partnership with the Nashville Downtown Partnership, the nonprofit management association that has managed bike share in Nashville since 2012. To learn more about the program and station locations visit nashville.bcycle.com. 

    BCycle is headquartered in Waterloo, WI, BCycle LLC develops and delivers best-in-class bike share systems and is committed to providing an environmentally sustainable transportation alternative for cities. BCycle believes that bike share is the bicycle’s role in public transit and is on a mission to change the world by getting more people on bikes. BCycle, a fully owned subsidiary of Trek Bicycle, partners with organizations across the country to deliver community-based bike share. For more information, visit www.bcycle.com. 

  • Nashville BCycle to Celebrate Return with E-bike Ride on July 28

    by BCycle | Jul 22, 2021

    Nashville BCycle to host inaugural ride on July 28 to celebrate the return of bike share to Nashville

    Nashville, TN – July 22, 2021 Nashvillians can celebrate the return of bike share with an inaugural e-bike ride on July 28. Hosted by Nashville BCycle and open to the public with RSVP, the event will include remarks by Walk-Bike Nashville and Council Member Freddie O’Connell, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a short e-bike ride for all attendees.

    The event takes place outside the Nashville BCycle office at 206 Anne Dallas Dudley Blvd in Nashville at 12:00 on July 28th. Nashvillians are encouraged to join the celebration, which includes a ribbon cutting ceremony and a short e-bike ride near the Capitol. Attendees can register in advance at nashville.bcycle.com.

    In April, BCycle LLC and the Nashville Downtown Partnership announced the return of bike share to the city of Nashville with an upgraded, all-electric bike fleet. Nashville BCycle closed in Spring 2020 due to COVID-19 and now returns thanks to a new partnership between BCycle LLC and the Nashville Downtown Partnership.

    “This new fleet of pedal-assist bikes will make it even better to visit Nashville’s businesses, enjoy some outdoor exercise or ease into a no-sweat commute with increased mobility in and around our city,” said Tom Turner, President and CEO of the Nashville Downtown Partnership.  “For downtown, I think we may see more employers and employees think critically about last-mile mobility solutions, and e-bikes are another tool in the toolbox to make that a realistic option.”

    Wednesday’s event precedes the soft launch of Nashville BCycle at a limited number of stations. Before Nashville BCycle reopens, riders can renew their previous memberships in the BCycle mobile app or online at nashville.bcycle.com. Riders can choose from a number of available pass types for riding to fit their routine and riding needs.

    Nashville BCycle, under the management of BCycle LLC, will continue to operate in partnership with the Nashville Downtown Partnership, the nonprofit management association that has managed bike share in Nashville since 2012. To learn more about the program and station locations visit nashville.bcycle.com.

  • Covid fueled the rise of the e-bike. See where ridership grew in the U.S. - NBC News

    by Elliott Ramos - NBC News | Jun 24, 2021
    The share of e-bike usage more than tripled from May 2020 to May 2021

    Daily Life in New York City Around The One-year Anniversary of The COVID-19 Shut Down
    Photo credit: Noam Galai / Getty Images file

    As public transit took a hit during the pandemic — ridership of subway trains alone declined 90 percent in New York City — cities began rolling out fleets of electric motor bikes, or e-bikes. And those bikes, it turns out, have skyrocketed in popularity, beginning to displace nonmotorized bikes in many places.

    While e-bike sales are on the rise according to industry groups, they don’t account for the actual usage. Trip data from bike-share programs — a public system of shared bikes that charge a fee — may shed some light on their use.

    An NBC News analysis of bike-share data from 11 of 13 cities that have comparable numbers shows that in May of last year, e-bikes accounted for only 11 percent of bike-share rides in cities surveyed, with 240,000 e-bike rides. Last month, they accounted for 38 percent of bike-share rides, ballooning to 1.4 million trips. The remaining 62 percent of rides were on conventional, nonmotorized bikes.

    The data, provided by BCycle, Lyft and open data sources, shows that e-bike rides made up more than a quarter of bike-share trips in Philadelphia and about half of all bike-share rides in Minneapolis and Columbus, Ohio. In the Bay Area, e-bikes accounted for more than 70 percent of bike-share trips.

    In some cities, e-bikes contributed to a post-pandemic bounce in bike-share usage. In Chicago, the number of bike-share rides in May increased from 338,000 in 2019 to 531,000 in 2021, with a third of those extra rides on e-bikes.

    While bike-share programs are not new, the addition of e-bikes allows riders to easily reach speeds of 15 mph, or speeds typically associated with high-endurance riders. That’s because of an electric motor that accelerates the bike as the rider pedals, making it possible to commute longer distances in a short amount of time.

    The increased speeds have also raised safety issues. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a report last year that said e-bikes accounted for 9 percent of micromobility injuries. "Micromobility" refers to transit devices such as e-bikes and hoverboards.

    Samantha Herr, executive director of the North American Bikeshare Association, an industry group that advocates for increased use of bike-share programs, e-scooters and e-bikes.

    Herr’s organization published a report in 2020 that showed e-bike utilization grew in 2019 and they were used almost twice as often as conventional pedal bikes in an average day.

    “We see [bike-share] as a piece of the broader way that people are going to get around their towns and cities,” she said. “It connects people to transit from first mile to last mile. ... It’s also filled in transit deserts.”

    Chicago tried to address those transit deserts last year when it introduced e-bikes to its Divvy bike-share program, which was part of a major expansion of the program, said Gia Biagi, the transportation commissioner for Chicago.

    Divvy e-bikes accounted for 10 percent of all bike-share rides in August 2020, the month the bikes rolled out, according to bike-share data. E-bike usage climbed to nearly a quarter of rides in September, and as of last month, the bikes make up a third of the city’s bike-share rides.

    Biagi said the rising popularity of the e-bikes was the result of several factors.

    “Folks who might have felt uncomfortable being in a vehicle, then looking at the Divvy bike and say, ‘Oh, this is a great option.’ We also offered deep discounts at the height of the pandemic to really incentivize people with an alternative option if they were feeling like they weren't ready to take public transit,” Biagi said.

    In Chicago, the cost of a single e-bike ride is $3.30 to unlock plus 20 cents a minute. An annual membership of $108 eliminates the unlock fee and lowers the per-minute rate by 5 cents. Every city sets their prices differently.

    The composition of a bike-share fleet can also affect how many e-bike trips there are in a system. In the New York City area in May, e-bikes made up 20 percent of the Citi Bike fleet but 38 percent of its rides. In Washington, D.C., e-bikes made up 13 percent of Capital Bikeshare’s fleet but 23 percent of the rides. In Chicago, the proportions were more matched, with a third of Divvy bikes being electric and e-bikes making up a third of all trips last month.

    “I think it's only going to gain in popularity. Here in Chicago, we plan to roll out more e-bikes into the system and expand,” Biagi said.

    Some cities such as Nashville, Tennessee, and Madison, Wisconsin, have even replaced their fleets entirely with e-bikes due to their popularity. Madison’s bike-share program is run by BCycle, which replaced the town’s entire fleet with e-bikes in June 2019.

    “We saw incredible growth, double, triple ridership of what we had seen previously,” said Morgan Ramaker, BCycle’s executive director.

    BCycle has bike-share programs in more than 40 cities, with 21 of them sporting e-bikes. She said that despite the pandemic hit, they saw higher ridership in 2020, especially among the systems that had e-bikes.

    That trend did not hold up in Los Angeles, which saw its Metro Bike Share use decrease in 2020. Metro spokesperson Dave Sotero told Streetsblog LA that ridership had decreased by about half compared to March 2019. Metro suspended 58 bike stations last year to remove dockless “smart” bikes from its system.

    California was the first state to enact a stay-at-home order, and this month the state lifted its social distancing and capacity limits.

    The same decline was shown in Columbus, Ohio, where overall bike-share fell 37 percent in May of this year, down from a high of 7,000 rides in 2020. Despite that, e-bikes made up nearly half of those rides.

    Still, Ramaker said the majority of BCycle systems had higher ridership overall in 2020 compared to the previous year.

    “People are looking for creative ways to get to where they need to go that's not in a single-occupancy vehicle, which we really think that bike sharing — e-bikes in particular — addresses,” Ramaker said.

    Read the article from NBC News

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