 News media contact:
Dylan Rivera
503-577-7534
dylan.rivera@portlandoregon.gov
 PBOT News Release:
BIKETOWN celebrates third birthday on Friday, as Portland system logs 1 million bike-share trips
Portland’s bike-share ridership grew 28 percent in 2018, with an 87 percent increase in annual members
(July 18, 2019) BIKETOWN, the City of Portland’s bike share system, celebrates its third birthday on Friday, as the network of nearly ubiquitous bicycles marks more than 1 million rides traveled through June 30.
Launched on July 19, 2016, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and its partners created BIKETOWN to increase access to bicycling and to reduce congestion and climate pollution.
BIKETOWN is meeting those objectives. BIKETOWN for All and Adaptive BIKETOWN are nationally recognized programs for increasing bicycle access and ridership among people living on low incomes and people with disabilities. Just last month, BIKETOWN riders reached a new milestone. From the start of the program through June 30, riders logged 1 million trips. Local riders, who account for a significant majority of trips, report in surveys that 24 percent of BIKETOWN trips replace drive-alone and Uber, Lyft or taxi trips.
 Photo by Trae aka 'Ashtyn Smiles' for BIKETOWN.
“Surpassing one million trips underscores to me that BIKETOWN has established itself as a crucial part of our transportation system that moves people efficiently, inexpensively, and sustainably,” said PBOT Director Chris Warner. “I’m very pleased with BIKETOWN’s successes in increasing transportation access for Portlanders.”
Powered by Nike, the system’s founding partner and title sponsor, BIKETOWN celebrates some of Portland’s communities and cultures through the Culture Collection. Members of NikeUNITED – Nike’s employee resource groups – designed bicycle or station wraps for the BIKETOWN system to mark Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride Month and Military Appreciation Month. Additional designs will continue throughout the year.
“Every year, BIKETOWN deepens its connection to the city – inspiring Portlanders and visitors to make sport a daily habit, while celebrating the diverse communities and cultures that make our city so vibrant,” said Jorge Casimiro, Chief Social & Community Impact Officer, NIKE, Inc.
Kaiser Permanente is the system's secondary sponsor. BIKETOWN is operated by Lyft.
BIKETOWN holds its third birthday party, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, at Pips and Bounce at 833 SE Belmont St., Portland, OR 97214. The event is free and open to the public.
BIKETOWN Growing Strong:
Here's a look at 2018, by the numbers
BIKETOWN For All: Growth through 2018
 About BIKETOWN
BIKETOWN is Portland’s bike share system, launched on July 19, 2016 with 1,000 bikes available to ride from one point to another for a small fee. BIKETOWN is a partnership between the City of Portland’s Portland Bureau of Transportation and Nike, the program’s sole title sponsor. BIKETOWN is operated by Lyft, the world’s leading bike share operator. It uses innovative new “smart bikes” which make it easy to find, rent and park a BIKETOWN bike. BIKETOWN is designed to be affordable and accessible, encouraging even more Portlanders to ride and allowing visitors to experience the city by bike. Portland joins over 60 US cities, including New York, Chicago, Washington DC, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Boise and Austin and 500 cities worldwide that have popular, safe and successful bike share systems. biketownpdx.com
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. www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation
About Nike
Nike believes in the power of sport to move the world and unleash human potential. 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 the title sponsor of BIKETOWN, Nike designed the 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 that include iconic Nike sneakers, Community Design Challenge winners, Pride and the newly launched Culture Collection.
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