By now you’ve probably seen some of these Reddy bikeshare bikes cruising around town. Last evening I came across a bikeshare station in front of Allen Burger Venture (ABV). Not only was the fleet of bright red bikes super eye-catching, a number of people were already using the system. Independent Health and Shared Mobility Inc. launched the program just yesterday, after a press conference with Independent Health President and CEO Michael W. Cropp, M.D., Shared Mobility CEO Michael Galligano, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown.
“We are excited to support yet another initiative that encourages exercise and recreation in our region, while also providing an alternative means of green transportation, boosting the local economy and further advancing the revitalization of Buffalo,” said Dr. Cropp. “We want to thank everyone who offered suggestions and insight on where to locate the pick-up and drop-off stations. This community participation was extremely valuable, truly appreciated and helped greatly in the final determination of those locations.
“We have long been known as the City of Good Neighbors, but we are increasingly being recognized as one of the most bike-friendly communities in the U.S. The rollout of Reddy bikeshare is the latest in a series of efforts to create healthy, environmentally sustainable, community-friendly transportation options in the City of Buffalo. Let’s get ‘reddy’ to ride,” added Dr. Cropp.
The 200-bike fleet, all equipped with GPS capabilities, is rolling out to more than 30 stations around the city in the next few days.
Aside from positioning the smart bikes at key bike-friendly locations throughout the city, a number of Buffalo institutions have also signed up as partners with the Reddy bikeshare, including the Medical Campus, University at Buffalo, Buffalo State, Canisius College, and Buffalo’s first Westin hotel (opening this summer at Chippewa Street and Delaware Avenue).
“More than 800 votes were logged both online and in person with considerable public appeal for specific locations including Delaware Park, Broadway Market, Buffalo Museum of Science, the downtown Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, and RiverWorks as well as Canalside and the Allentown and Elmwood Village neighborhoods,” said Galligano. “Riders will be able to pick up Reddy bikes at all these locations and plenty more.”
After the press conference, an inaugural group ride was held, which took place around Delaware Park. The ride was a demonstration to give the officials and supporters a chance to check the system out firsthand.
“The results of the “Get Reddy Buffalo” campaign helped us determine rack locations for the first phase of our deployment. Public input seemed to naturally align with our research and desire to place bikes in the most pedestrian and bike-friendly areas of the city,” said Jennifer White, marketing and communications executive for Reddy bikeshare. “The campaign also showed us that there will be a need for more stations, so we will identify other key locations throughout the rest of the summer to deploy additional racks as needed.”
With over 30 new bike stations being placed throughout the city in the next few days, this program will give people additional healthy options to get around our city.
Mayor Brown, who was joined by other council members said, “Today’s launch of Buffalo’s new Reddy bikeshare program is yet another step in making our city more bike-friendly for both our residents and visitors. With over 30 new bike stations being placed throughout the city in the next few days, this program will give people additional healthy options to get around our city. I recently had a wonderful bike ride at Rails to Trails, and I’m pleased I was able to participate in today’s group ride around Delaware Park. I hope those riding the new “smart” bikes will enjoy the many trails, parks and bike lanes that the City is continuing to invest in to improve the quality of life for all.”
Justin Booth, executive director at GObike Buffalo, said “We’re thrilled that residents and visitors will have greater access to bikes through Reddy bikeshare, and excited to see the continued positive impacts that biking brings to the City of Buffalo. Biking brings happiness to people’s lives and is good for our economy, health, environment, and the quality of life for all residents. Together, we can build a better city through biking.”
Reddy bikes allow riders the flexibility to park at any public bike rack within city limits with three different parking options.
- Free parking zones – located on Elmwood Avenue, Allen Street, downtown on Main Street as well as at the Broadway Market and the Buffalo Museum of Science. In these zones, riders can park at any Reddy rack or public bike rack for free.
- Preferred parking zones – available for the rider’s convenience to drop off a bike closer to their destination. Reddy racks outside of the free parking zones will cost a rider $.25 to park.
- Public bike racks – riders will also have the freedom to park at any other public rack within the city limits for a small fee of $2.00.
Reddy bike riders can ‘hold’ bikes for up to two hours at a station, thus ensuring that the bike will be available when they need it. “For example, if you’re an annual member starting on Hertel Avenue, you can ride all the way to Tifft Nature Preserve, spend a couple of hours enjoying the outdoors, and ride back for a trip cost of about $1.15,” said White.
Finally, Buffalo has a quality bikeshare program that is practical, sophisticated and reliable. Now let’s get to building more bike lanes around the city.
Annual passes are available with a membership rate of $55 for 12 months plus an additional $.01 per minute to ride. Independent Health members will receive 20 percent off the annual pass membership rate. Visitors to the city can purchase a shorter-term pass for $8.50 and ride for $.06 per minute for 30 days.
Reddy bikeshare also allows group passes for $20 and $.06 per minute that allows four users to ride under one account. This pass is also valid for 30 days.
All membership passes are now available for purchase through the SoBi mobile app or online at www.reddybikeshare.com. For more information including all stations and parking zones, visit the website or contact Jennifer White at jen@reddybikeshare.com or 716-407-7474.