With gas prices steadily rising and spring on the horizon, biking never sounded so good. Or at least that's what Fort Worth Bike Sharing is counting on. The organization dubbed Fort Worth B-Cycle will officially launch with a fleet of 300 rental bikes on Earth Day, April 22.
The program has been in the works since July 2012, when the Fort Worth Transportation Authority won a $1 million grant Federal Transit Administration. "It’s great to see two years of hard work finally coming to fruition," executive director Kristen Camareno said in statement. "Fort Worth truly has something new to be excited about."
Trek bikes equipped with baskets will be available to rent at 30 docking stations around Fort Worth.
For members, the program will cost $80 annually, or $8 for a 24-hour rental. Brand-new Trek bikes equipped with baskets will be available at 30 docking stations around Fort Worth, including downtown and the cultural district.
"Residents, workers and visitors will be able to easily hop on a bike to get where they’re going, which is always more fun and healthier than having to drive everywhere," said board chair Mike Brennan.
When the program kicks off on Earth Day, it hopes to have all 300 bikes on the streets for an inaugural ride from Burnett Park to each of the 30 docking stations. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price has already claimed her spot among the Earth Day riders.
Bike sharing programs are popular internationally as well as in U.S. cities such as Washington D.C., Denver and Houston.
Although Dallas doesn't have its own communal program, a number of biking organizations have cropped up recently, and the city is in the midst of an extensive bike plan to connect various trails. Additionally, DART and the Trinity Railway Express, which operates in Dallas and Fort Worth, are equipped with bike racks.
Fort Worth Bike Sharing is modeled after Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C.
