Mayor Kasim Reed has signed the contract with CycleHop, the bike share operator, and its partners Social Bicycles and local firms Center Forward and Iconologic to launch the city’s premier bicycle sharing program with 500 bicycles and 50 rental stations throughout the city.
Mayor Reed considers the bicycle sharing program a critical component of his goal to double bicycle to work commuters from 1.1 percent to 2.2 percent by the year 2016.
Atlanta’s bike share system will use the latest ‘Smart Bike’ system known as Social Bicycles. SoBi bikes are equipped with an integrated GPS-enabled locking mechanism that gives riders the flexibility to return a bike at a hub location, or any public bike rack.
Users will be able to find and rent bikes through the Web, a mobile application, or using the interface on the bike.
The bike share program is a private-public partnership, and the business model relies on corporate sponsorship. Business and property owners may participate and support the program through sponsorship, adopt-a-station, and the purchase of memberships.
Information: www.atlantabicycleshare.com.
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