Ann Arbor Bike Share program to bring 125 bikes downtown in April 2014

Want a bike? Take a bike. For members of the forthcoming Ann Arbor Bike Share program, it'll be that easy beginning in April of next year. At 14 stations throughout downtown, bike share members will be able pick up one of 125 bikes and use it to run errands, get to appointments or just take a quick ride. 

 

Though the date of the bike share program's launch was announced last week after the Ann Arbor City Council approved a $150,000 local match of a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant, its development has been underway by the Clean Energy Coalition and partners Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, University of Michigan and the City of Ann Arbor for some time.

 

"It was a number of years ago when several stakeholders were sitting around a room and talking about how this would be a great asset for the community," says Clean Energy Coalition's Heather Seyfarth, program supervisor. "We knew it could be a really great program, so we wanted to carefully plan it in such a way that benefits all those involved."

 

The bike share program will launch with $750,000 in capital funding and $800,000 in operational funding for three years. Clean Energy Coalition, along with AATA, secured $600,000 in CMAQ capital funding, and the University of Michigan has pledge $200,000 per year for operating costs. 

 

"[The partnerships] strengthen the program," says Seyfarth. "We have this major entity with an influx of population that comes in every year, and it will certainly serve their community, but with the city involved, it will be able to serve the residents as well, and help with expanding the program in the future."

 

Memberships will be available at downtown kiosks and online with annual, seven-day or 24-hour options. Though specific prices have not been determined Seyfarth estimates an annual membership will be $55 to $65.