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Old Posted Mar 26, 2011, 11:05 PM
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UrbanTrance UrbanTrance is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: L.A.
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More on bike stations.

Quote:
San Antonio launches bike share program

For B-Cycle organizers, Saturday's roll-out was both about reaching out to new cyclists like Vallejo, and marking a milestone in the history of cycling in San Antonio.

“I think it will encourage faster infrastructure for bike lanes and all the things we need, because suddenly it's there, visitors will use it, and we need to make sure we can get around,” said Cindi Snell, executive director of San Antonio B-Cycle and co-owner of Bike World, the local bike shop that won the contract from the city to run the new program.

This is also the first such bicycle share program in Texas, a fact that was not lost on anyone Saturday.

The city received stimulus funds, plus grant money for the program from the Department of Energy and the Centers for Disease Control. Bike World created a nonprofit called San Antonio Bike Share, which will administer B-Cycle, a national bike share program.

“The interesting thing about this program is it's the intersection of public health and environmental health really,” said Julia Diana, the city's bike coordinator.

Bike World will maintain the bicycles and run the daily operations. The organization has hired a full time operations manager who will monitor bike maintenance and ensure they are evenly distributed throughout the city, Snell said.

Bicycles, 140 total, will be distributed among 14 docking stations in or near downtown; all but one, at the UTSA Downtown Campus, are now open. Users can rent the bicycles for half hour intervals or pay $10 and keep them for 24 hours.

The bikes include easily adjustable seats and lights in the front and back that turn on as the rider pedals. The cables are all internal, so users can wear dresses or even high heels, and not worry that they'll snag or get caught, Snell said.

Once finished, riders can return the bikes to the docking stations.

The bikes are intended to be used for short trips, like zipping from the Pearl Brewery to Alamo Plaza, or the Blue Star Art Gallery to Hemisfair Park.

“It's to get where you need to go and be done, so it's a share,” Snell said.

Customers can buy memberships by the day, the week or the year. The first half hour is free; each additional half hour is $2.

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