  News media contact:
John Brady
Portland Bureau of Transportation
Cell: (503) 577-8236
john.brady@portlandoregon.gov
@pbotinfo
News Release:
Ride Free in May! BIKETOWN celebrates Bike Month with free rides for all
Adaptive BIKETOWN and BIKETOWN For All also included in the celebratory promotion
(April 24, 2018) The sun is out and it’s time to ride! The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and BIKETOWN are pleased to announce a special promotion for the month of May – ride free all month and park free at any public bike rack in the entire BIKETOWN service area.
New and existing BIKETOWN riders will all qualify for 90 minutes of free ride time per day. After 90 minutes of daily use, users will be charged 10 cents per minute. Annual members of the bike share program will receive a promotional code for a $12 discount to cover their membership fee for the month. The promotion applies to BIKETOWN’s sister programs as well – Adaptive BIKETOWN, which makes biking accessible for people with disabilities, and BIKETOWN for All, which offers discounted BIKETOWN memberships to Portland-area residents living on low incomes.
Throughout the month of May, BIKETOWN riders will be able to park their bikes at any public bike rack within the BIKETOWN service area for no additional fee, expanding on the program’s pre-existing Super Hub Zones. PBOT and BIKETOWN will also offer “Waterfront Wednesdays” - free, guided bike rides from Waterfront Park at noon every Wednesday in May for people interested in trying BIKETOWN in a comfortable, low-stress setting on Better Naito and the Eastbank Esplanade. Meet at the BIKETOWN station at SW Salmon at Naito, across the street from Salmon Springs Fountain.
“With
over half a million rides taken in the last two years, it’s clear that
Portlanders have embraced the convenience and fun of bike share,” PBOT Director Leah Treat said. “I look forward to seeing even more people take BIKETOWN and Adaptive BIKETOWN for a spin this May and hope they will enjoy riding as much as I do.”
People interested in taking advantage of BIKETOWN’s free ride promotion must sign up through the website, mobile app or at a station kiosk and
select the "Single Ride" plan. Current BIKETOWN Annual Members can log
in to their account, choose "Memberships" and apply the "BIKEMONTH18"
promo code to their existing account. Day passes will still be charged $12 for three hours of ride time.
The Adaptive BIKETOWN 2018 pilot program begins May 1, and runs through Sept. 30. People with disabilities and others who qualify for a TriMet Honored Citizens Pass can ride Adaptive BIKETOWN for up to three hours a day. Their rides will be free for the month.
Members of the general public who would like to try an adaptive bike
using Adaptive BIKETOWN will be charged the normal hourly rate.
Adaptive BIKETOWN bikes will be available for rent online, or by visiting PBOT’s rental partner, Kerr Bikes, at their Eastbank Esplanade/OMSI location, 1945 SE Water Ave., Bldg B, Portland, OR 97214. More details and hours of operation are available online.
The orange BIKETOWN bikes have quickly been embraced as an integral part of bicycling culture in Portland, the city with the highest bike commute rate among major U.S. cities. Since the program’s launch in July 2016, BIKETOWN riders have logged over 520,000 trips and 1,058,081 miles. Among local users, survey data shows that 25% of trips are replacing auto trips, proving BIKETOWN as an essential strategy in meeting the City's goals to reduce congestion and climate pollution.
About PBOT
The
Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the City’s
transportation system, and a community partner in shaping a livable
city. We plan, build, manage and maintain an effective and safe
transportation system that provides access and mobility. Learn more at www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation.
About Nike
Nike
believes in the power of sport and physical activity to help strengthen
communities. As a longtime partner with the City of Portland, BIKETOWN
highlights the company’s commitment to make Portland even more active,
vibrant and innovative. As part of this collaboration, Nike designed the
innovative visual identity for the program’s standard bike which is the
highly identifiable orange that is synonymous with Nike. In addition,
Nike oversees the design and branding of the system’s logo, stations and
physical presence, as well as a select number of limited edition bike
wrap designs, including: the Nike Air Max 95, Nike Air Trainer 1 and
Nike Air Safari, BETRUE and five soon-to-be designs resulting from the
BIKETOWN Design Challenge.
About Motivate
Motivate
is a global leader in bike share. A full-service bike share operator
and technology innovator, Motivate works to re-envision how people
experience and move around cities. Motivate operates over 75% of the
bike share fleet in North America, including the four largest systems in
the US: Citi Bike in New York, Divvy in Chicago, Capital Bikeshare in
the D.C. area, Bay Area Bike Share (San Francisco Bay Area) and Hubway
in the Boston area. International Motivate bike share systems include
Bike Share Toronto and Melbourne Bike Share (Australia). www.motivateco.com
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