Bike Month and Beyond: The Latest in Bike Share

National Bike Month is a time to celebrate the benefits of biking and get more people riding. That includes encouraging the use of bike share. In honor of this year’s Bike Month, BBSP is shedding some light on recent efforts to increase access to bike share across the United States.  

Photo courtesy of Pacers Bikeshare

BELLEVILLE, NJ
Another guerrilla bike share system is popping up in New Jersey following the success of Montclair Guerrilla Bike Share. In Belleville, NJ, Belleville Guerrilla Bike Share (BGBS) offers a free bike share program for residents. Entirely volunteer-run and funded, the initiative relies on community support. Bicycle repairs and maintenance are handled by Borderline Bikes, BGBS’s volunteer repair shop.

CINCINNATI, OH
Earlier this month, Cincinnati Red Bike, Cincinnati’s bike share system, announced its three-year “Strengthen and Sustain” funding plan. Just last March, Red Bike announced that it was closing permanently due to funding issues. Shortly after, the Coalition of the Willing formed, providing temporary funding to keep Cincinnati Red Bike alive. Strengthen and Sustain funding partners include The City of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Metro, Interact For Health, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, P&G, The United Way, and Northern Kentucky business and civic leaders.

“We are working with our transit agency, Metro, to analyze how we can cooperate and plan stations to not only maximize the benefit to the current bike share system, but also to work towards more cohesive first/last mile connectivity to fixed-route transit,” says Red Bike Executive Director Doug McClintock. “There’s a whole BRT system coming online in ‘27/’28, so there is a lot of thought going into this work. We expect to roll out some additional stations this summer.”

INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Pacers Bikeshare is celebrating one year of IndyRidesFree, its free-for-all bike share program offering an annual pass which includes unlimited 30-minute rides. 60% of the people using the IndyRidesFree pass had never used Pacers Bikeshare before the free pass program. According to program data, nearly 20% of passholders earn less than $25,000 per year, with an even split of 50% female and 50% male riders. Additionally, 40% identify as non-white, and 10% are ages 55 or older. 

This milestone celebration also coincides with the announcement that Pacers Bikeshare secured $1 million in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funding to support its expansion beginning in 2027. The expansion includes the addition of approximately 250 new e-bikes, 18 new stations, and additional balancing vehicles for operations with a goal of increasing station density. 

MILWAUKEE, WI
Through a Federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant and a match from the City of Milwaukee, Bublr Bikes is doubling its bike share network in the coming year! This effort is part of the city’s goal of developing 50 miles of protected bikeways by 2026. Bublr plans to add 500 e-bikes and 100 stations to the system and continue to co-locate stations with Milwaukee County Transit System stops. Bublr and the City of Milwaukee encourage Milwaukee residents to complete the Bublr 2.0 feedback survey here to share their ideas about the expansion.

“We are thrilled to be able to expand the network to meet the needs of our community,” says Bublr Bikes Executive Director Laura Bolger.

SAN JOSE, CA
BayWheels is expanding its San Jose network through the East San José Bikeshare Expansion plan. Through the expansion, the system will connect the Mayfair and Alum Rock neighborhoods to downtown San José and the Berryessa BART Station in three phases. Baywheels plans to add 30 stations, 725 e-bikes, and give out 2,000 free Bikeshare for All memberships. To support the expansion, free bike share classes will be offered and wayfinding materials will be added in the new network area.

NORTH AMERICA
Registration for the annual North American Bikeshare and Scootershare Association (NABSA) Conference is now open! Join NABSA and other shared micromobility practitioners this October in Montreal, Quebec, for Momentum: The Power of Shared Micromobility Conference. Register here.