After launching on April 19, the PeachHealth Rides bike share program held an official launch event on Tuesday, where 20 people gathered outside the EMU Outdoor Program Bike and Rental Barn to watch the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The PeaceHealth bike share program lets University of Oregon students, faculty and staff sign up for $5 per month, which includes a free hour of riding every day.
Without a plan, they receive 15 minutes of free riding a day, with a cost of 10 cents per minute after that. Read more about how the program works and where to sign up here.
“For U of O, [bike share] is ideal because incoming students are encouraged not to bring their cars,” said Kelsey Moore, UO Bike Program Coordinator. “This gives them an option for bike access without having to worry about security and maintenance.”
Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting launch event offered bike themed snacks, an option to take a short bike ride, PeaceHealth gear and the opportunity to talk to representatives from the UO Bike Program and from PeaceHealth.
Moore compared the bike share system to other transportation systems, like buses, in that someone borrows a bike and rides for a short distance to get from one place to another and then leaves it at their destination, without having to worry about parking.
“It’s a really great option for faculty, staff and students to get around campus,” Moore said. “If somebody drives their car to campus but then it’s a nice day out and they want to get around campus a little bit faster than walking, bikes are an option.”
According to Moore, JUMP Bikes (recently purchased by Uber) are the vendors for the bike share system in Eugene as well as in Portland. Moore said that the main difference between the Eugene and Portland bike share programs is the pricing, where in Portland it’s $144 for an annual membership or $2.50 per trip.
Moore said that Eugene’s bike share system is relatively easy. “You can download the app on your phone or you can go to a computer and access the information to sign up for a daily membership or a monthly membership,” Moore said.
“You can walk up to any bike anywhere, punch your six-digit code and your four-digit pin and then the bike unlocks and you can ride it wherever you want,” Moore explained.
Lindsey Hayward, General Manager of the Bike Share Program at PeaceHealth, has been involved with planning for locations of the bike stations, working with community partners, doing outreach and hiring a local team.
“It’s really exciting to see people out riding bikes with huge smiles on their faces and people riding bikes for short-term commutes,” Hayward said.