Bend’s first Bike Share Station debuts
When it comes to innovative ideas that encourage bike riding instead of vehicle traffic around town, Commute Options is, literally, putting their money where their mouth is.
Commute Options has invested in Bend’s first bike share station. Popular in major cities around the world, a bike share station is essentially a service in which bicycles are made available for shared use to individuals on a very short-term basis.
The new bike share station, located at the offices of Commute Options and the Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) at 50 SW Bond Street in Bend, celebrated its grand opening on May 24th.
The small-scale prototype station gives employees of Commute Options, ONDA, and others who work in the Bond Street building free access to three new Bend Velo custom-made bikes painted the teal green color of Commute Options’ logo.
The bike station also includes helmets (required by all users), tools, cable locks, sign-out sheets and the rules and regulations associated with the bike share system.
“We want to share this incredible concept with the Bend community,” says Jeff Monson, executive director of Commute Options.
Large-scale bike share systems can offer thousands of bikes from bike share stations spread throughout a metropolitan area.
In the greater Washington D.C. area, Capital Bike share has more than 1,800 bicycles available at over 200 area locations.
With Capital Bikeshare, anyone with a credit card can create an account (online, with a mobile app or at a station kiosk) to access a bike on a daily, multi-day, monthly or yearly basis. Members use an electronic key to check out a bike from a network of docking stations, ride to a destination served by the network, and return the bike to another docking station.
Users of Bend’s first bike share station – to operate for building employees on an honor-system – have daytime access to the bikes and accessories to make short trips around town in instances when they might otherwise have used a motor vehicle, thereby saving a parking space and reducing traffic congestion, noise, air pollution and fuel costs.
For more information about how to set up a bike share station, contact Jeff Monson at jeff@commuteoptions.org.
About Commute Options
Commute Options promotes choices that reduce the impacts of driving alone. Through active transportation choice, Commute Options encourages healthy individuals, a clean environment, and a strong economy. Commute Options represents transportation options in our community by educating citizens, businesses and government about the value of carpooling, vanpooling, walking, bicycling, teleworking and using public transportation. Commute Options was named 2012 Program of the Year by the Transportation Options Group of Oregon. For more information, visit www.commuteoptions.org.
