Video by Sierra LaDuke
The city of Phoenix and CycleHop launched Grid Bike Share on Tuesday, an anticipated citywide program that allows people to reserve and rent bikes at starting rates of $5 an hour.
Students, residents and tourists will have access to 500 bikes at 50 locations throughout Phoenix by the end of 2014. Mesa and Tempe are also expected to debut 500 more Grid Bikes in 2015, city of Phoenix Bicycle Coordinator Joseph Perez said.
Plans for the bike share were originally announced in July 2013, but the program encountered a few false starts and changes prior to its launch.
“There’s a variety of reasons for the delay,” Perez said. “This is a new version of these bicycles. This a new version of the tail lights. There’s new software and new hardware. There were a lot of upgrades to the system.”
He explained the bike’s other features, including solar-powered lights and a drive shaft in place of a bike chain. He said the bicycles are designed to be sturdy and less vulnerable to theft.
Perez typed a PIN number, which users receive when they reserve a bike online, into the bike’s keypad. After the PIN number disables the lock that anchors the bicycle to the hub, it is ready to ride. The bike can be returned to any Grid location or locked to a regular bike rack for a $2 service fee.
Riders can choose to pay for one ride, a monthly subscription or year-long membership. A discounted student subscription is also available for $59 a year.
But some locals have contended that Phoenix needs to focus its money on infrastructure rather than spend it on new programs. Perez said he agreed that Phoenix could spend more on retrofitting older streets with bike lanes, but argued that the city was improving.
“We recently got a bronze award from the League of American Bicyclists as a bike-friendly community,” he said.
Grid bikes provide benefits beyond what infrastructure improvements could supply, Perez said.
“Having a bike share helps people connect to the light rail and public transportation,” he said. “It shortens your walking in distance and helps you escape the heat.”
Perez said Phoenix’s weather and newer roads are ideal for a strong biking community. The next step is showing residents that biking can be easier and quicker than driving, he said.
Grid Bike Director John Romero said Grid bikes offer many benefits to the community.
“There are so many positives to this program,” he said. “We are introducing another alternative mode of transportation that is also environmentally friendly, low cost, low carbon and promotes healthy behavior.”
Phoenix Public Information Officer Monica Hernandez said the program is designed to provide options for residents and visitors alike.
“It’s really an example of how we are continuing to evolve our city into being a bicycle friendly environment,” Hernandez said.
Contact the reporter at Whitney.McCarthy@asu.edu
