MoGo Detroit Bike Share

MoGo’s mission is to provide an active transit system of on-demand bikes to serve a wide range of people and needs. Since launching in 2017 with 43 stations and 430 bicycles, MoGo has exceeded all expectations, not only for ridership, but for its equity work as well. As it approaches its third anniversary in May 2020, more than 60,000 riders have logged 357,679 rides. MoGo’s $5 Access pass has one of the highest participation rates in the country; 21 percent of all memberships sold go to people who receive state benefits.

In 2019, MoGo added 50 pedal-assist e-bikes to its fleet, and again recently when MoGo expanded its service by adding 31 stations and 145 bikes in the Livernois and McNichols area of Detroit, as well as in Ferndale, Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Oak Park and Berkley in southern Oakland County.

Emergency Relief Work:

With significant cuts in bus service and growing concerns for individual health and safety while using traditional public transportation, it is important that bike share remain available for people in Detroit. To make it easier to access bike share, MoGo announced a free Monthly Pass for all riders on March 30. Whether an essential worker needs bike share to get to their job, or a person staying at home needs an outlet for physical activity, MoGo wants to make sure people have access to safe, affordable, and reliable transportation throughout this crisis. Since launching the program, MoGo has given away 285 passes. (During peak season ridership, MoGo typically has about 100 active Monthly members.)

A brief survey is currently underway to learn more about how people who have taken advantage of the free Monthly Pass are using bike share during the COVID-10 crisis. In addition to the free Monthly Pass, MoGo is entering into a partnership with the City of Detroit to help distribute and maintain up to 400 e-bikes donated by General Motors and GenZe. The e-bikes will be given to essential workers in health care and supporting fields. MoGo’s operations staff will store the bikes, develop a process with the City to distribute them, and provide free maintenance for a period of time to be determined.

MoGo was approached by the City to help administer this program on April 15, and details are still being worked out. While different than bike share, MoGo is glad to use its expertise to get reliable active transportation in the hands of people who need it.