Marlene Feist, Public Works Director of Strategic Development, 509.625.6505
Monday, August 20, 2018 at 4:06 p.m.
Bikeshare is coming to Spokane. A pilot program is slated to launch on Sept. 4 and continue for a couple of months. The pilot is part of a larger effort to determine whether a permanent bikeshare is right for Spokane and how such a program should be configured, if it is.
Bikeshare has become a popular way to get around in many cities and college campuses in the U.S. Basically, it’s a collection of bikes available to be checked out for a small rental fee and used for trips in and around town.
Today, it was also a popular way to move around the basement of City Hall when a preview of the program was moved indoors because of air quality concerns. Mayor David Condon and Council Member Kate Burke were among the attendees who took a turn on the bright green bikes and scooters.
Those bikes were provided by Lime, the vendor for Spokane’s pilot. Lime will place up to 200 bicycles—some regular and some electric pedal assist bikes—and up to 100 electric scooters in Spokane. They will primarily be available in downtown, the University District and the neighborhoods adjacent to these areas.
Lime uses a dockless system allowing bikes to be parked at essentially any location. Each bike has the necessary equipment for rental. To rent a bike, citizens will need to download the Lime app. The links to the app are on the City’s web site, and people also can find them on the apple store or Google play.
We will be seeking information from citizens about their experiences during the pilot program to inform the process we have under way to look at a possible permanent bikeshare program for the City.
More information on the bikeshare pilot is found on the City’s web site.
