The Neighborhood Pedal Power Bike share program planning Intown expansion

By Shandra Hill Smith and Collin Kelley

One month into the kickoff of the Relay bike share program in Atlanta, the city is seeing requests for more bike station locations. And Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (ABC) is busy collecting those requests and feedback while encouraging others to make their voices heard as well. ABC asks that you text the neighborhood where you’d like to see a bike station to (678) 647-7176, and take a short survey at the same time.

Relay rolled into Atlanta in June with 100 bikes and 10 stations. The stations for initial installation include: Broad Street, M. Rich Center, City Hall, Underground Atlanta, Georgia State University Arts & Humanities, Georgia State University Petit Science Center, Woodruff Park, Sweet Auburn Market, Hardy Ivy Park and Nelson Street Bridge. Stations, subject to further review by the city, may be located on public or private land. By the end of 2016, Atlanta expects to have 500 bikes between 50 locations throughout the city.

“Bike share and bicycling generally are an amazing way to experience the city,” says Becky Katz, the city’s chief bicycle officer. “Bike share enables Atlantans and visitors to ride a bike for errands, commuting or recreation.”

Cyclists can reserve a bike online (relaybikeshare.com) and get a unique PIN to unlock the bike at one of the stations. The cost is $8 an hour, $15 per month (which includes an hour of daily ride time), $20 per month (which includes 90 minutes of daily ride time), or a $25 semester pass for students who get an hour of daily ride time.

Relay is operated by Miami-based Cyclehop, a national bike share operating company. “The opportunity for anyone to check out a bike when you need one makes it as convenient as transit,” says ABC Executive Director Rebecca Serna. “The key is that the city is also building bike lanes that connect to each other, often separated from cars, so that anyone can feel safe and respected on a bike. Together, bike share and the bike lane network create a city where biking is a safe and realistic mode of transportation.”

In 2013, ABC with assistance from the city, completed a feasibility study demonstrating bike share as a sustainable and smart investment for Atlanta. Now, proponents say, they’re witnessing that reality play itself out.

“People are excited about the pilot downtown, and can’t wait for Relay to expand to cover more of the city,” says Serna.

One of the targeted areas for the bike share will be the city’s Westside neighborhoods. ABC recently received a $67,000 grant from The Better Bike Share Partnership, a collaboration between the City of Philadelphia, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, PeopleForBikes Foundation and the National Association of City Transportation Officials.

ABC is partnering with the city, Cyclehop, WeCycle, Urban Perform and Red, Bike & Green Atlanta to create a bike share champion program that provides pathways to employment while building a strong base of bike share users on the Westside.

For more information about the city’s bike share program, visit relaybikeshare.com or atlantabike.org.