Memphis becomes newest BCycle program with 600-bike system featuring BCycle Dash bikes

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – With an exclusive fleet of BCycle Dash advanced smart bikes, Memphis, Tennessee, becomes BCycle’s 50^th bike share program—and its largest smart bike system to date—with 600 bikes and 60 stations.

 

“Launching our 50th program is an important milestone, and we couldn’t be prouder to be doing so with our Dash bikes and ecosystem, which puts the rider at the center of the bike share experience and further integrates bike share with public transit,” said BCycle President Bob Burns. “There’s no better time than now to launch this program, during National Bike Month, and in a great city such as Memphis. We’re thrilled to welcome Memphis to the growing BCycle family and to be able to offer the people who live, work and play here a chance to experience BCycle Dash.”

 

Explore Bike Share launched this morning, May 23, through a community celebration in partnership with the Downtown Memphis Commission. More than 250 volunteers crowdsource docked the bike fleet into their 60 stations for the first time.

 

Unlike other smart bikes, BCycle Dash incorporates elements that firmly establish bike share as a critical component of a community’s transit system offerings. Among its many features, BCycle Dash has the ability to be docked on conventional bike racks, at its own Dash dock and next to a station if there are no available docks.

 

The bike incorporates front and rear integrated lighting, a heads-up display with trip info and 8-speed shifting. Riders can purchase a membership online, at a payment kiosk or through the BCycle app, where they will also be able to access trip history, routes and ride data. Riders can check out bikes directly from the BCycle mobile app, using an Explore Bike Share RFID card or a user ID and PIN directly on the bike’s forward-facing touchscreen.

 

“Explore Bike Share’s mission is to provide an affordable, accessible and approachable transportation option for all Memphians and visitors,” said Trey Moore, executive director of Explore Bike Share. “BCycle’s equipment and technology have allowed us to fulfill that mission equitably and intentionally with flexible station sites and easy-to-use bikes. Our team is excited to offer this state-of-the-art system to residents and tourists.”

 

Explore Bike Share in Memphis is BCycle’s 50^th program in the United States. Memphis is the second community to launch a BCycle Dash ecosystem. Jackson, Wyoming, launched its Dash system in April 2018; Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Colorado Springs, Colorado, launch with Dash later this year.

 

Globally, BCycle currently has more than 15,000 bikes on the ground and riders have taken nearly 15 million trips. All BCycle bikes are designed by Waterloo, Wisconsin-based Trek.

 

For more information on BCycle, visit www.bcycle.com and download the BCycle app in the App Store or Google Play Store.

 

For more information on Explore Bike Share, visit www.explorebikeshare.com.

BCYCLE MEDIA CONTACT
Laura Andrews
(706) 296-7135
landrews@bcycle.com

ABOUT BCYCLE. Headquartered in Waterloo, Wisconsin, BCycle develops and delivers best-in-class bike share systems worldwide, and is committed to providing an environmentally sustainable transportation alternative for cities. It’s BCycle’s mission to partner with campuses, corporations and municipalities of all sizes to implement and maintain bike share systems that complement and improve existing transportation infrastructure. They do so with a suite of products that make riding the easiest and most enjoyable part of people’s day, and an incredibly impactful part of your public transportation network. For more information, visit www.bcycle.com.

 

 

ABOUT EXPLORE BIKE SHARE. Explore Bike Share is a Memphis 501(c)3 with a mission to create and implement a transportation tool to advance the city on multiple fronts—including but not limited to transportation, tourism, health, environment, and culture—through the development and operation of a bike sharing program with access to as many Memphians as possible. Initially launching with a 600-bike system on May 23, 2018, the system will expand to 900 bikes by 2019. For more information, visit www.explorebikeshare.com.

Pictured: Doug Carpenter, DCA, Kevin Woods, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Trey Moore, Explore Bike Share, Doug McGowen, City of Memphis, Jaske Goff, Downtown Memphis Commission, Casey Shannon, Lewis Thomason, John Paul Shaffer, BLDG Memphis & Bike Walk TN, Kevin Kane, Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, Porshe Stevens, Crosstown Arts, Bob Burns, BCycle, Jennifer Oswalt, Downtown Memphis Commission, Roshun Austin, The Works CDC, Suzanne Carlson, Innovate Memphis, Sara Studdard, Explore Bike Share, Mandi Schwarz, BCycle, Jon Pegg, Explore Bike Share

MEMPHIS—Today, in conjunction with the kickoff of National Bike Month, Explore Bike Share is proud to announce its official 60-station, 600-bike system launch date of Wednesday, May 23.

“Our full-staff team of nine and BCycle operations partners are working around the clock to operationally implement and communally introduce a top-tier bike share system for the city of Memphis,” said Trey Moore, Executive Director of Explore Bike Share. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring these bikes to the streets and infuse them into the daily routines of Memphians and visitors.”

Community volunteers will ride the system’s initial bike fleet from Explore Bike Share’s Uptown warehouse on the morning of May 23 and congregate at Court Square for a community-wide celebration at 9:30 a.m. in partnership with the Downtown Memphis Commission. Coined “The Big Roll-Out,” Explore Bike Share’s launch day event will recognize partners, funders and sponsors, ambassadors and spokespeople across neighborhoods and sectors.

“The DMC is excited to partner with Explore Bike Share on such a momentous day for the Downtown and greater Memphis community,” said Jay Goff, Vice President of Operations for the Downtown Memphis Commission and Explore Bike Share board member.

At the conclusion of the DMC-hosted event at 10:30 a.m., a volunteer-led “station migration” will ride the 600-bike fleet to its 60 stations across the system’s service area. Interested volunteers can select their neighborhood destination of choice, whether Cooper Young and South Memphis or Crosstown and Orange Mound, to crowdsource the system’s first-time distribution of bikes into stations. EventBrite sign-ups are available through The Big Roll-Out's Facebook event.

“Our launch date marks a culmination of the Explore Bike Share’s deep relationships and research and core values,” said Porsche Stevens, Explore Bike Share board member and Crosstown Concourse community engagement coordinator. “We look forward to bringing every type of Memphian together.”

Visit “The Big Roll-Out” Facebook event for further event details and RSVP mechanisms for Explore Bike Share volunteers.

Additionally, all Explore Bike Share membership levels are transactional beginning today, allowing Memphians to purchase their annual, monthly, or weekly membership. Memphians are urged to make a transaction now, though their membership will not be activated until their first ride. 

The “Pay It Forward” option, which supplies an annual membership to the donor and to another Memphian, supports the nonprofit’s mission to provide an affordable, accessible and approachable transportation for all. 

To become a member, visit here.

Additionally, the next three weeks mark the perfect time to get involved from a sponsorship perspective—opportunities range from robust branding on the bikes themselves to very specific, targeted advertising on stations, in social media promotions, and through event marketing.

“The time is now for every individual and organization to take advantage of the benefits that come with this dynamic new asset for Memphis,” said Moore. “We’re ready for Explore Bike Share to officially roll in with a robust introduction and collective of partners and people.”

For more information, visit explorebikeshare.com.

ABOUT EXPLORE BIKE SHARE. Explore Bike Share is a Memphis 501(c)3 with a mission to create and implement a transportation tool to advance the city on multiple fronts—including but not limited to transportation, tourism, health, environment, and culture—through the development and operation of a bike sharing program with access to as many Memphians as possible. Initially launching with a 600-bike system on May 23, 2018, the system will expand to 900 bikes by 2019. For more information, visit explorebikeshare.com

New bike and app establish bike share as critical component of town’s transit system offerings


Pictured left to right: Lee Jones, BCycle, Director of Business Development, Jack Koehler, Friends of Pathways, Program Director, Pete Muldoon, Jackson Mayor, Darren Brugmann, START Director

Jackson, Wyoming – April 11, 2018 – Jackson, Wyoming, is the latest community to bring bike share to the public, further enhancing transportation options for residents and the world-class experience for visitors – and it’s doing so as the first to launch BCycle Dash, an advanced smart bike that puts the rider at the center of the bike share experience and integrates bike share with public transit.

START Bike, a program of START Bus, launched yesterday with 55 BCycle Dash bikes and 17 stations. Friends of Pathways, in partnership with START Bus and the Town of Jackson, will operate the program.

START Bike is the first bike share program of its kind to launch with BCycle Dash. Unlike other smart bikes, BCycle Dash incorporates elements that firmly establish bike share as a critical component of a community’s transit system offerings. Among its many features, BCycle Dash has the ability to be docked on conventional bike racks, at its own Dash dock, next to a station if there are no available docks or anywhere a bike can be parked.

The bike incorporates front and rear integrated lighting, a heads-up display with trip info, and 8-speed shifting. Riders can purchase a membership online or using the BCycle app, where they will also be able to access trip history and ride data. Riders can check out bikes directly from the BCycle mobile app, using a START Bike membership card or a user ID and PIN.

“It’s not just about the bike – it’s about the rider,” said Bob Burns, BCycle President. “At BCycle, we are always looking for ways to connect the ecosystem with the rider to boost the rider experience. We’re excited to welcome Jackson to the growing BCycle family, and even more excited for the people who live, work and play here to experience all that BCycle Dash has to offer.”

START Bike provides a convenient and easy-to-use transportation alternative to short trips in the downtown area and provide users a fun and simple way to experience the town.

“Jackson is well known as a leader in environmentally sensitive initiatives and is acknowledged as a bicycle friendly community. A Jackson bike share program makes great sense,” said Jackson Mayor Pete Muldoon in a recent press release. “This bike share program will provide an additional healthy and environmentally-sensitive way for residents, commuters and visitors to move in and around our town. These shared bicycles will improve connectivity while reducing traffic congestion.”

The START Bike system brings the total number of communities with a BCycle system in the United States to 49. BCycle currently has more than 14,000 bikes on the ground and riders have taken nearly 2 million trips.

Jackson is the first community to launch BCycle Dash and will be joined by Memphis, Tennessee, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Colorado Springs, Colorado later this year. All BCycle bikes are designed by Waterloo, Wisconsin-based Trek.

For more information on BCycle, visit www.bcycle.com and download the BCycle app in the App Store or Google Play Store.

For more information on START Bike, visit www.startbikejh.com.

ABOUT FRIENDS OF PATHWAYS Friends of Pathways is a non-profit organization in Jackson, Wyoming, that supports a vibrant community by promoting sustainable transportation and healthy recreation. Its work has led to more than 65 miles of pathways in Teton County, including 15 miles in Grand Teton National Park. For more information, visit www.friendsofpathways.org.

ABOUT BCYCLE Headquartered in Waterloo, Wisconsin, BCycle develops and delivers best-in-class bike share systems worldwide, and is committed to providing an environmentally sustainable transportation alternative for cities. It’s BCycle’s mission to partner with campuses, corporations, and municipalities of all sizes to implement and maintain bike share systems that complement and improve existing transportation infrastructure. They do so with a suite of products that make riding the easiest and most enjoyable part of people’s day, and an incredibly impactful part of your public transportation network. For more information, visit www.bcycle.com.

Community members invited to participate in the launch at noon on the Town Square

JACKSON, WYOMING - START Bus and Friends of Pathways invite all community members to help celebrate the launch of the START Bike Share program on Tuesday, April 10^th. A group will convene at noon at the Town Square for a brief set of remarks, a short ride on the new bikes, and light refreshments. All community members are invited to join.

START Bike, a program of START Bus, launches with 55 bikes and 12 stations and will provide a new alternative for residents, commuters and tourists to travel. The program will be operated by Friends of Pathways in partnership with START Bus and the Town of Jackson.

START Bike provides a convenient and easy-to-use transportation alternative to short trips in the downtown area where residents and visitors can check out a bike from one station and return it to another station near their final destination.

“Jackson is well known as a leader in environmentally sensitive initiatives and is acknowledged as a bicycle friendly community.  A Jackson bike share program makes great sense,” said Jackson Mayor Pete Muldoon.  “This bike share program will provide an additional healthy and environmentally-sensitive way for residents, commuters and visitors to move in and around our town.  These shared bicycles will improve connectivity while reducing traffic congestion.”

“START is proud of the partnership we have with Friends of Pathways in bringing this alternative form of transportation to our Jackson Hole community,” said Darren Brugmann, START Director.  “START Bike is a leading example of government working with other entities to enhance the quality of life in our community.  START Biking!”

“Bike Share is low cost way to provide more mobility while improving the quality of life in Jackson,” said Katherine Dowson, Executive Director of Friends of Pathways. “Our community is ideal for cycling and more people are choosing to bike to their destination. We’re excited to give more people access to bikes for errands, going out to dinner, and other short trips in town.”

START Bike is the first bike share program of its kind, launching with BCycle Dash, an advanced smart bike that puts the rider at the center of the bike share experience. The bike incorporates front and rear integrated lighting, a heads-up display with trip info, and 8-speed shifting. Riders can purchase a membership online or using the BCycle app, where they will also be able to access trip history and ride data. Riders can check out bikes directly from the BCycle mobile app, using a START Bike membership card, or a user ID and PIN.

An Annual Pass, available for $50, includes unlimited 30 minute rides with a fee of $1.50 for each additional 15 minutes. A Founder’s Pass, available for $90, included unlimited 60 minute rides and allows riders to leave their bikes outside of the hubs with no fee. There is a limited number of Founder’s Passes available.

For more information on START Bike, visit www.startbikejh.com and download the BCycle app in the App Store or Google Play Store.


TOWN OF JACKSON CONTACT
Carl Pelletier
(307) 699-2015
cpelletier@jacksonwy.gov                                                            

START BIKE CONTACT                                                                                     
Lauren Dickey
(317) 797-6022
 lauren@friendsofpathways.org

ABOUT THE TOWN OF JACKSON. The Town of Jackson is located in the northwest section of Wyoming.  It was named in 1894 and officially incorporated in 1914.  Jackson has a population of 9,577 and is the county seat of Teton County.   It sits at an elevation of 6,237 feet above sea level and serves as the gateway into Grand Teton National Park.    

ABOUT FRIENDS OF PATHWAYS. Friends of Pathways is the community advocate for access to sustainable transportation and healthy recreation in Jackson Hole.


ABOUT BCYCLE. Headquartered in Waterloo, Wisconsin, BCycle develops and delivers best-in-class bike share systems worldwide, and is committed to providing an environmentally sustainable transportation alternative for cities. BCycle has successfully launched more bike sharing systems in the United States than any other company, and has done so on time and under budget with bike share systems that are secure, reliable and scalable. For more information, visit www.bcycle.com.

MEMPHIS—Explore Bike Share, a nonprofit bringing a 60-station, 600-bike bike share system to Memphis this spring, has revealed its station location map and official system brand and website.

Explore Bike Share’s 60 stations span from Downtown, South Memphis, and Cooper Young to Orange Mound, Overton Square, and Crosstown. Locations have been determined based on multiple criteria, including solar power accessibility, density, proximity to other transit options, neighborhood usage, and ongoing community engagement efforts. Ongoing neighborhood conversations, as well as a digital effort in late 2017 to capture pins on an interactive map of Memphis, resulted in over 3,500 “pins” submitted by citizens for potential station locations.

“We’ve made an organizational commitment to create an equitable system that is affordable, available and sustainable,” said Trey Moore, Executive Director of Explore Bike Share. “While we believe this site map reflects our mission wholeheartedly, we’re intentionally installing a system with malleable components to allow for potential shifting within neighborhoods or intersections as needed. Therefore, if a station is best suited on the other side of the storefront or on an adjacent street, we’ll assess the data, listen to the community and reconfigure.”

The system is the first and largest of its kind in the nation, as Explore Bike Share’s manufacturing partner BCycle was selected by a community board of advisors in Memphis to launch the largest Dash system yet, fueled by solar power with forward-facing touchscreens, whose technology can capture data related to miles ridden, calories burned, and popular routes. The new technology allows for malleability both physically and geographically.

Another first for the bike share industry is Explore Bike Share’s two stations in West Memphis, Arkansas, making Explore Bike Share the first two-state Dash system in the country.

“We’ve felt the impact of bike traffic into West Memphis due to the connectivity of Big River Crossing, so we knew we needed to invest in this bike share system,” said Jim Jackson, Executive Director of the West Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Explore Bike Share has been identified as a national model for its equitable engagement prior to launch.

“Rather than simply putting bikes on the street and reacting, we’re proactively giving Memphians the opportunity to have ownership over these bikes and their locations,” said Sara Studdard, Community Engagement & Marketing Director. “They’re putting pins in a map, guiding our site planning practice, and even eagerly unboxing the bikes hours after arrival into the market. We’re grateful for the involvement from every kind of Memphian imaginable. This system truly is built for Memphis by Memphians.”

To implement the system itself, Explore Bike Share has hired a growing team of locally-hired bike technicians, led by new Bike Fleet Manager Jon Peg, who previously ran operations at Revolutions Bicycle Co-Op. Charence King an Orange Mound resident and volunteer with Explore Bike Share since 2015, has joined the team, along with Ellis Clemons from Advance Memphis.

The operations team is currently implementing technology as a result of over 300 community volunteers’ sign-ups to physically “unbox” the 600 box-shipment of bikes in February.

“Explore Bike Share’s tangible examples of community mobilization are a model for other organizations to follow,” said Steve Nash, Executive Director of Advance Memphis. “My forklift drivers were engaged to unload the bikes, and now our graduate Ellis has been hired full-time as a bike technician. Advance Memphis is honored to be involved—and we’re excited to get a bike share station across the street, too!”

“We are fortunate to have this team onboard to build and implement BCycle’s smart kit technology,” said Operations Director Rajah Brown. “We’ve been working every day in the warehouse to get these bikes fully equipped for ridership. Explore Bike Share is not just a transportation and tourism amenity—it is a fullyrunning business hiring local workforce.”

Explore Bike Share’s revenue relies on usage and sponsorship. Its membership costs are committed to being affordable for visitors and all Memphians whether through community partnerships or existing health programs. Membership options are as follows:

• Single Ride: $5
• Weekly Membership: $12
• Monthly Membership: $15
• Annual Membership: $120

Weekly, monthly and annual memberships offer users unlimited 60-minute rides from one station to another. If more than 60 minutes pass before the user docks their bike at a station, overtime usage fees will apply. However, users may dock from one station to the next to ensure their hourly allowance does not expire.

Membership will be offered closer to actual launch, but two payment opportunities are now live on the new website explorebikeshare.com: the “name on a bike” dedication and “Give Your Neighbor a Lift” donation opportunities.

For $500, one can dedicate a bike with a name of your choice (with a 25-character limit), to be printed and installed on a bike share bike’s front fork for all to see and appreciate. An one-year annual membership will be included in the transaction.

A “Give Your Neighbor a Lift” membership for $200 will support an annual membership for both yourself and a member of the Memphis community in need of greater transportation access. This missional model, thanks to the generosity of Memphians, will secure access to more citizens. Donors will receive a code to redeem membership when membership sign-ups become publicly available.

“We’ve said from day one that every Memphian deserves access to quality transportation options,” said Roshun Austin, Explore Bike Share board member and Executive Director of The Works CDC in South Memphis. “We’re all paying it forward with Explore Bike Share, whether through a ‘Give Your Neighbor a Lift’ donation, a new bike programming series around town, or simply advocacy for our organization.”

Explore Bike Share’s new look, which is now live on explorebikeshare.com and social media channels, brings a new color palette and brand elements of energy, spirit and ease. The headline, “It’s just like riding a bike,” reflects the approachability that this transportation amenity can offer Memphians and visitors, no matter the distance. Bikes, station kiosks, and other assets, branded by DCA, will be embedded in the market throughout implementation this Spring.

“When the effort was initiated three years ago, the name ‘Explore Bike Share’ was deliberately chosen not to bring bike share to Memphis, but rather to explore people’s thoughts and reactions for bike share’s potential success,” said Sara Studdard. “When the effort yielded a positive reaction, a 501(c)3 was established—and when discussion of system name came up, it was unanimously approved that EBS would be fantastic transition to the trade name. Now, Explore Bike Share has become a call to action for the consumer to see the city and explore Memphis via bike share.”

System sponsors’ brands will affect Explore Bike Share’s bike baskets, payment kiosks, and other physical and digital elements based on level of investment. Sponsors will be revealed at launch.

“While bike share is an incredible marketing tool recognized by leading national companies, it’s new to Memphis,” said Executive Director Trey Moore. “Nonetheless, we’re actively receiving calls from Memphis businesses across all levels who realize the overwhelming benefits of brand association with bike share, from HR and employee recruitment/retention to public relations and marketing exposure to over 11 million annual tourists as well as our citizens. We’re excited for all to illustrate their commitment to and benefit from this unique and transformational effort.”

Learn more at explorebikeshare.com 

 

ABOUT EXPLORE BIKE SHARE. Explore Bike Share is a Memphis 501(c)3 that is implementing a robust bike share system and transportation tool to advance the city on multiple fronts—including but not limited to transportation, tourism, health, environment, and culture—with access to as many Memphians as possible. Initially launching with a 600-bike system in Spring 2018, the system will expand to 900 bikes by 2019. For more information, visit explorebikeshare.com