Atlanta Expands Bicycle Sharing Program To 65 Locations

ATLANTA, GA -- If you've been itching to try out the city of Atlanta's bike share program, then you will soon have additional opportunities to utilize the service.

The city has expanded Relay, its bicycle share program from 100 bikes at 22 stations to 500 bikes at 65 locations.

Mayor Kasim Reed said he was proud to announce the expansion, as his administration has committed to making Atlanta a top bicycle friendly city in the nation.

The ceremony was held Wednesday, April 19 at Piedmont Park.

"More than 3,000 people have taken 8,000 trips on Relay bicycles since the program launched," Reed added. "Now more than ever, residents and visitors are navigating our wonderful city on bicycles, on foot and using public transit.”

In 2012, Reed made a commitment in making bicycling a central part of the lives of Atlanta residents, workers and visitors. Establishing the bike share program last year was an essential step in achieving this goal. The expansion comes less than a year after launching 100 bikes at 10 stations in downtown Atlanta. Following user trends and public input, Relay Bike Share expanded in November 2016 from 10 to 22 stations and extended the service area to include Midtown Atlanta.

"The city of Atlanta plans for the bike share program to connect every neighborhood and community in the city," said Tim Keane, commissioner for the city's Department of Planning and Community Development. “This expansion gives Atlanta residents a unique opportunity to see things in their community that they wouldn’t witness otherwise, and the privilege to appreciate the city in a different way.

The new bike stations include:

Midtown Hubs

Arts Center MARTA, Georgia’s Own (14th & Juniper), Piedmont Park West, Outwrite Station, Piedmont Park East, Piedmont Park South, 11th & Peachtree, Midtown MARTA North, Tech Square, Argonne & 5th, Greenwood Ave BeltLine, Fourth Ward Park, North Ave MARTA and Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Downtown Hubs

Civic Center MARTA, Peachtree Center MARTA, Little Five Points, Piedmont & Auburn, Jackson St. Bridge.

West Atlanta Hubs

Atlantic Station, 14th & Howell Mill, Tech Parkway, Home Park, State & 11th, W. Campus Housing, Piedmont Park West, Central Park, Coca-Cola Campus, Georgia Tech Transit Hub, Clough Commons, Georgia Tech CRC, Gordon-White Park, Westside MARTA, Woodruff Library (AUC), Historic Westside Village, Spelman College, Castleberry Hill.

East Atlanta Hubs

Virginia-Highland, Atkins Park, Ponce-Highland, Little Five Points, King of Pops, Inman Village, Inman Park, Inman Park MARTA, Highland Ave – Freedom Park Trail, Irwin & Eastside BeltLine, Studioplex, Edgewood Ave & Eastside BeltLine, Randolph & Edgewood, Jackson & Chamberlain, King Memorial MARTA, Cherokee & Woodward, Park & Memorial, Grant Park.

Reed's administration has made significant investments in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure with a diverse range of partners including the Livable Centers Initiative, Atlanta BeltLine, PATH Foundation, Midtown Alliance, Georgia Tech, Atlanta Downtown Improvement District and the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation. Throughout the current mayor's tenure, Atlanta has added 19 miles of new bike lanes, protected bike lanes, and multi-use trails and has an additional 40 miles of facilities in the project development pipeline.

In September 2016, the city of Atlanta was named a Best Bike Cities by Bicycle magazine. Relay is managed by Cycle Hop, LLC, and Social Bicycles, LLC, and operates out of an office in the Historic West End neighborhood.

CycleHop LLC currently oversees similar programs in eight other cities, including Phoenix, Ariz., Orlando and Tampa, Fla. and Beverly Hills, Calif.

For more information about Relay Bike Share, visit Relay's website.

Images via city of Atlanta