City pedaling toward first bike-share program

Officials want the $1.34 million plan implemented in time for the 2015 UCI Road World Championships.

December 17, 2014; 9:37 AM • by Nathan Cushing

City Council’s Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Committee unanimously voted yesterday on a proposed funding agreement between the City and the Virginia Department of Transportation that would establish Richmond’s first bike-share program, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

The city is considering a $1.34 million agreement to use mostly federal funding to deploy an initial wave of 300 bikes to 30 docking stations throughout the city. Pending City Council approval, the system is expected to be in place by the time the UCI Road World Championships come to town next September.

With the unanimous approval of the council committee, the full council is expected to vote on the plan next month.

While no details exists for what the bike-share program would look like for riders, the RTD discussed pricing with a City official:

Though the city has not finalized a fee structure, typical prices are around $75 for an annual membership, a one-day pass could cost around $6, and a three-day pass could cost about $15, said Jakob Helmboldt, the city’s bicycle, pedestrian and trail coordinator.

There would be no additional fees for trips of 30 minutes or less, but riders would be charged extra for longer trips, the goal being to encourage turnover and bike availability.

Should Council approve the plan next month, the body would also have to approve a contract with a vendor that would deploy and manage the bicycles.

Photo of a DC bike-share dock by Teresa Grau Ros