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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />March 26, 2015 <br /> <br />CONTACT: Reed Dunbar, Associate Transportation Planner, 541-682-5727 <br /> <br />From Public Information Section, 541-682-5523 or 541-954-2938 <br /> <br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br /> <br /> <br />State Awards Grant for Eugene Bike Share <br />Bike Share may be coming soon to the City of Eugene. The Oregon Transportation Commission on March <br />19 approved more than $909,000 to develop a bike share system serving central Eugene. <br />The bike share system would be Oregon’s first. The city in coordination with Lane Transit District and <br />the University of Oregon developed a feasibility analysis in 2014 to determine if bike share would be a good <br />fit for the Eugene area. The study confirmed the likelihood of a successful system and identified size, phasing, <br />and operational characteristics of the system. The state grant will help pay for the bike share bikes and <br />related infrastructure. <br />Bike share is an innovative transportation solution that allows people to check out a bicycle for short <br />urban trips that might otherwise be made by bus or by car. On some transit routes, including the EmX route <br />from campus to downtown, capacity is very limited. Bike share will help provide transportation options for <br />people traveling less than two miles. Bikes are maintained by a local operator. <br /> <br />The grant application identified a station-based bike share system where bikes are secured at kiosks <br />around the community. Users swipe a membership card or credit card to release a bike for their use. The <br />first 30 to 60 minutes of the trip are generally free with fees accruing for use beyond the entry period. The <br />trip ends when the user returns the bike to a bike share station. The grant will likely fund 28 stations and <br />about 210 bikes. The feasibility study identified a total build out size of over 400 bikes. The initial launch <br />location corresponds to locations where people are likely to use bikes including downtown Eugene, the UO <br />campus, and portions of the Whiteaker neighborhood. <br />The city is interested in transportation solutions like bike share because they help to provide a <br />transportation option that utilizes existing infrastructure, help to reduce the burning of fossil fuels, and help <br />implement city plans and policies including the Climate Recovery Ordinance and the Transportation Systems <br />Plan. <br />Bike share users will be able to choose a membership plan that best suits their needs including one-time, <br />monthly, and annual memberships. There may also be group pass options for large employers. <br />Regional partners are currently evaluating operational plans, membership structures, and sponsorship <br />opportunities. Selection of a bike share vendor and system operator is likely to take more than twelve <br />months. The city is hopeful the bike share system will launch before the Olympic Trials in 2016. <br />For more information about the bike share system, go to www.eugene-or.gov/bikeshare. <br /># # # <br /> <br />Public Works Administration ● City of Eugene ● 101 E. Broadway, Suite 400, Eugene, OR 97401 <br />Phone 541-682-8421 ● Fax 541-682-6826 ● www.eugene-or.gov/pw <br />