Success of Bike Sharing

During the summer of 2008, GVF Transportation rolled out its first venture in Bike Sharing. Bike Sharing is a concept that provides bicycles at no cost, or low to users. The advantage of operating a bike share program is that is promotes cycling, and gets people who might not own a bike out riding. Bike Pottstown, GVF Transportation’s first bike share has the privilege of also being the region’s first bike share. This summer, Bike Pottstown has exceeded all expectations, and is continuing to grow as a program.

The success of Bike Pottstown has lead GVF Transportation to look to our other partners for possible bike sharing programs. The intent is to develop a region wide bike sharing network. Although bike sharing is a relatively new concept for the Greater Philadelphia region, it has been implemented with great success throughout the United States, and the World. In the U.S. many universities and employers are looking to bike sharing as a way to encourage people to ride.

Fuji Bike, the official bike provider for Bike Pottstown has partnered with Emory University and Bicycle South, a local bike shop, to provide 50 bikes that can be rented at no charge at six spots on campus. Students can also buy Fuji bikes at a discount and receive a free helmet, lock and lights from Emory. Students, faculty and staff can go to a rental station, show their Emory ID and check out bikes. The program plans to add 70 more bikes and four checkout points in the next year. In addition, about 150 bikes have been sold through the partnership in the past year, said Jamie Smith, who runs the program, called Bike Emory.

Internationally, the most famous bike share is the Paris Velib program. The bikes are scattered throughout the city in self automated kiosks. Users can check a bike out, use it to run errands, or as transportation, and leave it in another location. The program has been met with incredible success, and has been a model for other cities to follow.

Bike sharing is growing in popularity. With the environment effects of driving, combined with the rising prices of fuel, more and more people are using bicycling as an alternative mode of transportation. Look for more bike shares in the greater Philadelphia region in years to come.