Big Bike Sharing Program to Hit Long Beach Streets

A bike share program touted by the City of Long Beach as one of the largest in California is expected to launch in downtown early next year with  private funding, it was announced this week.

Approved Tuesday, Aug. 21, by the Long Beach City Council, the bike share program will launch in the downtown area, where tourism and trade are focused, and then expand into other neighborhoods, according to Ed Kamlan, a spokesman for the Long Beach City Manager's Office.

The program and roll-out will be handled by American-based manufacturer Bike Nation, which has offered to invest $12 million in the program,.

It will result in no “out of pocket costs” for the City of Long Beach or taxpayers, it was stressed.

The 250 solar-paneled, wireless kiosks offering 2,500 chain-free bicycles—which will also sport airless tires and GPS capabilities—are expected to minimize associated costs in the future. 

“This state-of-the-art bike share program will serve local residents, businesses and visitors,” Mayor Bob Foster said in a statement. “Bicycling is helping to promote business growth as well as a healthy, active lifestyle, and this new partnership will continue to move us forward to becoming the most bicycle-friendly city in the nation.”

Currently, Minneapolis, MN holds that coveted spot, according to a Huffington Post article from August 23. The only Californian city to make their Top 20 list is San Francisco, at number six.

But when the privately funded program goes into effect in February of next year, Long Beach well be on its way to joining the ranks of other bike-friendly communities nationwide.

With a population of more than 465,000, that’s about one bike per 186 residents, the city noted.

Public right-of ways in high-traffic areas will serve as initial locations for several bike share stations. Linked together in a network, each station will provide self-service kiosks where the public can rent and return bicycles in a system that’s designed for short trips and a quick turnover.

For example, trips lasting less than a half-hour on a 24-hour rental will cost $6. Discounts will be available for longer rentals, such as $12 for three days, $25 for a week, $35 per month and $75 per year, according to a statement by city officials.

Students and seniors will receive an additionally discounted price of $50 annually.  

The bike system will be designed to complement the Long Beach Transit Bus System and the Metro Blue Line, providing an important “first-mile – last-mile” link, according to a statement by city officials, and will eventually spread out to other areas of Long Beach.

“Bike Nation is proud to provide Long Beach residents and visitors alike with a low-cost, healthy time-friendly transportation option that will be connective to the City of Los Angeles and Anaheim systems,” said Derek Fretheim, Bike Nation Chief Operating Officer, in a statement. 

For more information about Bike Nation and the program, click here.