MAYOR CANTRELL MARKS BLUE BIKES' 2-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY IN ADVANCE OF EXPANDED SERVICE, E-BIKES
NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell today congratulated Blue Bikes on its second anniversary as the bikeshare service prepared to expand service to include more areas in the city as well as replace its fleet with electronic-assist bikes in 2020.
"While everyone rides for different reasons, the system mirrors our city, and bikes are located in a growing number of neighborhoods to meet different needs — from City Park to the CBD to the French Quarter to Central City,” said Mayor Cantrell. “In 2020, we look forward to bringing more, upgraded bikes, to deliver this new transportation option to more of our residents."
The new JUMP Blue Bikes feature an e-assist that provides a boost (up to 20 mph) every time you pedal, which makes biking more accessible to a wider range of people with different abilities and ages while being used for longer distances. (Note: Red-colored demo versions of these bikes have been used around town, but these bikes, when put into service, will remain the color of blue.)
JUMP has seen e-bikes generate more than twice as much usage as pedal-only bikeshare, and JUMP e-bike trips average 200-300 percent longer than traditional bikeshare trips. In 2020, Blue Bikes will expand its service area to give even more people access — including students at Xavier University, Dillard University, Loyola University and Tulane University — while allowing current riders to leverage the pedal-assist in traveling to more parts of the city. Blue Bikes will be expanding in these neighborhoods:
- Uptown
- Riverbend
- Carrollton
- Broadmoor
- Gert Town
- Central City
- West Bank
- 7th Ward
Riders will also benefit from a new, improved JUMP mobile app and the ability to rent bikes directly through the Uber app, since Blue Bikes and JUMP joined the Uber family last year. With more modes of transportation in one place at their fingertips, it becomes even easier to get around without a car. Riders with an existing Uber account can simply log into the new apps, or they can create a new account after downloading the JUMP or Uber apps.
With JUMP products now in nearly 30 cities globally, riders will be able to get around just as easily when traveling to those cities as they can when at home in New Orleans — and tourists from cities like London, Berlin, San Francisco and Austin will be able to seamlessly ride Blue Bikes when visiting New Orleans.
“Over the last two years, we’ve introduced more and more people in the city to bikeshare, and I am thrilled that all of our dedicated riders will soon experience the benefits of e-bikes — getting across town faster without breaking a sweat,” said Geoff Coats, Blue Bikes General Manager.
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