Despite most things coming to a halt, Reddy Bikeshare continues to roll onwards. The bike sharing group, in partnership with Independent Health, has announced that it has now embarked upon its 5th season. Reddy Bikeshare was given the green light to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic under Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s “New York on PAUSE” guidelines.
“We are here for our community; Reddy bikes are a source of relaxation and physically distant fun to help people get through this extremely challenging time,” said Jennifer White, marketing and communications director for Reddy Bikeshare. “We believe that a daily bike ride delivers a sense of peace and comfort, and acts as a healthy break from this new normal.”
Understanding that money is going to be tight for a lot of people, due to sweeping job losses, Reddy Bikeshare has also announced that the cost to sign up for an annual pass is $1.00 through the end of April (at least). That’s a 98% discount – an annual pass is normally $55.00. There is also an additional cost of $0.01 per minute to ride, which means that if you head out for an hour, you’re only looking at paying 60 cents. Not bad.
Our Team believes we need to unite as a community to support one another in order to get through this.
“The world is changing moment to moment and yet our commitment to offering a healthy, active, and sustainable form of transportation remains steadfast,” said Mike Galligano, CEO, Shared Mobility Inc. “Our Team believes we need to unite as a community to support one another in order to get through this. We will provide this discount for everyone, and at that same time we are actively looking for ways to collaborate with delivery-related and other essential services. Sustainable transportation needs to be on the streets now more than ever.”
Aside from the savings, the Reddy Bikeshare Fleet Team is doing everything that it can to clean and sanitize the bikes, while wearing gloves and facial covers while they work. Riders will also notice that there is a bottle of hand sanitizer on each of the bikes, which helps people to disinfect their hands before and after their trips.
Complimentary hand sanitizers, courtesy of Independent Health, are also available at the following stations: Bidwell Parkway, Broadway Market, Delaware Park, as well as inside the Niagara Falls Amtrak Station (while supplies last).
For more information on prevention measures and proper cleaning and disinfecting strategies, Reddy Bikeshare and Independent Health encourage riders to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov or the World Health Organization website at who.int.
Anyone interested in signing up for Reddy Bikeshare can visit reddybikeshare.com or download the Social Bicycles app.