We’ve eagerly been awaiting Jefferson City’s launch of a bike-share program that’s been discussed and planned over the past two years.
It’s almost here.
We recently reported that, starting next week, bike-sharing service Spin will begin to place bicycles in 10 primary locations in Jefferson City. The placements will come in waves, and will include rentable scooters.
Riders can download an app and pay as they ride — $1 for 30 minutes. There also will be monthly and yearly rental subscription options.
The bicycles and scooters will be dockless, so riders can pick them up and drop them off anywhere in the city. Jefferson City will provide Spin with the 10 primary bike locations.
It will be coordinated by the city’s parks department and Capital Region Medical Center.
St. Louis is the only other Missouri city that has such a program.
We like the program because it provides cheap, healthy recreation and transportation for people who either don’t have bikes/scooters, or who can’t transport them to a good place to ride them, such as on the city’s greenway trails.
The city also believes the program has the potential to attract young people to the community.
The program, in part, relies on the good intentions of those who use it.
To help ensure the program’s success, let’s make sure we all take care of the bikes like they our own. If you see someone misusing the bikes, report them.
Another way to help make the program a success is to do something you normally would do anyway when riding a bike: follow the rules of the road. If you’re riding on roads, go with the flow of traffic. Follow road signs. Use your hands to make turn signals.
Many motorists in this town aren’t accustomed to cyclists on the roads, and frankly they aren’t that keen on sharing the roads. So build their trust by being a responsible cyclist.
Then, hopefully, the program will be successful and grow, just like the city’s greenway trails have.
News Tribune