Approximately 85 people have signed up as members of Vermont’s first public bike-share system, which launched last week in Burlington, Winooski and South Burlington.
Those members, who bought either month- or yearlong passes, have access to about 80 green and blue bikes spread out at 15 hubs in the three towns, according to Katie Martin, the program and marketing manager for the Chittenden Area Transportation Management Association, which helps oversee the bike program.
Riders racked up about 100 miles across 125 trips aboard the seven-speed bikes in the program’s first five days, Martin said.
“People are taking quick point-to-point trips, getting where they need to go,” she said. “It’s working.”
The Greenride bike-share program is a collaboration between the University of Vermont, Champlain College, the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission and CATMA.
The partners have scheduled an official launch event and bike parade on April 18 in Burlington, the first stage of an initiative that will eventually include 300 bikes across seven Chittenden County towns. The program will add 25 electrical assist bicycles, known as e-bikes, to the fleet later this summer.
Riders can reserve a bike online or use an app. That’ll give the user a four-digit PIN, which can be entered in the keypad on the back of the bike to unlock it from its spot on the rack. A half-hour ride costs $2. Monthly memberships cost $15, while a yearlong membership costs $50 and offers up to 60 minutes of ride time daily.
The bikes will be available for year-round use, which Martin joked “scares some people” unaccustomed to riding in the snow.
The first phase of the program costs about $200,000 annually. That total covers the cost of the bikes, which are leased from the Gotcha Group, a South Carolina company that was also hired to design and manage the program. It also pays for a contract with Burlington bike shop Old Spokes Home to do maintenance and evenly disperse the bikes around the different racks.
Racks can be found near the Winooski traffic circle; in Burlington’s Old North End, downtown, on the waterfront and along Pine Street; on the UVM campus; and at Healthy Living, the Burlington International Airport and the University Mall in South Burlington.
The bikes are GPS-enabled, which allows organizers to “see where people are traveling, and how often they’re traveling there,” Martin said. The information will help the group plan for future bike infrastructure, she said, or determine where to set up bike hubs.
Within the coming year, the groups plan to start phase two by adding 200 more bikes, including 50 e-bikes. They’ll be placed at about 50 hubs across Burlington, South Burlington, Winooski, Colchester, Williston, Shelburne and Essex.
The organizers have signed a three-year lease with the Gotcha Group, but when it expires, Martin said she expects the bike share to stick around. “We see bikes as an integral part of our transportation system,” she said. “They’re here to stay.”
Ben & Jerry’s and Seventh Generation are providing the majority of funding through sponsorships, Martin said. Corporate sponsors will cover 50 percent of the program costs. Institutions, such as Champlain College and the University of Vermont Medical Center, will fund about 20 percent, while cities and towns, including Burlington, will pay the remaining 30 percent.
Mayor Miro Weinberger previously touted the initiative and has advocated for alternative transportation options in Burlington. He also pushed for controversial bike lanes along North Avenue and has touted upgrades made to the the Burlington Bike Path under his watch.
Last year, the city council adopted a Walk Bike master plan intended to improve transportation options for pedestrians and bicyclists around the city.
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What a great service! Now hope the city acts soon on the proposed bike route between downtown and UVM/hospital neighborhood. That would make using bikes so much safer. Flying down College St isn’t for the faint of heart.
Ironic . . who would’ve thought that the “City of the Future” would be pedaling bikes instead of zipping around in flying cars ala’ The Jetsons.
This sounds like a nice idea, though trusting a company named “Gotcha” isn’t comforting but their name may be more honest than we realize. Let’s see how this goes and how those bikes look in 3-4 years, how well they are maintained and how many bike/car accidents there are.
But , hey, the nice weather is just around the corner. You can hum “Nearer My God to Thee” while you pedal around.
Bike share is a huge community asset that I hope people appreciate & support. $50 a year (or $25 for qualified people) is a small price to pay for access to affordable efficient transportation. Kudos to the folks at CATMA for getting this off the ground. I’m really looking forward to Phase 2 of the roll out when we’ll start to see more hubs that serve the different neighborhoods in Burlington.
I wish the article had mentioned that all UVM faculty, staff, and students get a year’s membership (actually 14 months right now) for half off – $25. Somehow $25 seems so much less than $50, and is more in the range of “I don’t know if I’ll use it, but I’d like to support the program, and who knows” kind of thing.
I wish there was a way to make this more affordable for those to whom $50 represents groceries for a month, and $2 charges as bad as insurance copays. In other words, some of the people who could most use these bicycles will not be able to justify the expense. This is emblematic of the misunderstanding in this city that $1000 a month for a one bedroom apartment is “affordable” housing.
@Barbara, there is a more affordable option: Greenride for All provides $5 monthly or $25 annual membership for income qualified residents. The program also includes a cash payment option for those who do not have a debit or credit card and membership sign up help.
More info here: http://greenridebikeshare.com/access/
Do these bikes come with helmets? If not anyone riding these are taking a huge chance of injury.
Helmets should be required for anyone on a bike. Geez it is just common sense.