LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Let’s say you live near Spalding University and want to run a few errands in the NuLu neighborhood this Saturday.
Rather than driving your car and spending money on gas and parking, you can now rent a bicycle from a LouVelo station located on Breckenridge St. between Third and Fourth streets and enjoy a short ride to your destination.
Your bicycle is a solid frame, three speed - decked out with fenders, a bell, puncture resistant tires, an adjustable seat, storage basket and a lock to keep your bike safe while you drop in at Revelry Gallery Boutique or grab a coffee at Please and Thank You.
You’ve managed to run all your errands and get some fresh air - for $3.50. How?
A network of nearly 30 LouVelo bicycle sharing stations are now operational and placed strategically throughout downtown Louisville, NuLu, Old Louisville and Butchertown, to make your riding dreams come true.
The program - five years in the making - was officially launched during a Thursday morning press conference with Mayor Greg Fischer.
Much of the delay in getting a bike sharing program to Louisville was due to trouble finding sponsors to finance the program.
Fischer previously told The Courier-Journal that nine local entities will provide $10,000 to $20,000 apiece for each of the next three years - Norton Healthcare, JP Morgan Chase, UPS, Genscape, the Brown Hotel, KentuckyOne Health, Atria Senior Living, The Eye Care Institute and a group called Clay & Main.
Annual operations are expected to cost the city about $50,000 a year. That is the base sum it has contracted to pay a Florida-based consultant, CycleHop, to manage the program.
But what will it cost you?
First, you need a credit card to rent a bicycle and participate in any of the daily, monthly or annual bike pass rental programs. Pricing is $3.50 per 30-minute trip or $15 per month for unlimited 60-minute trips. Annually, the LouVelo program cost is $10 a month with unlimited 60-minutes rides.
So what’s the keep people from just riding off with a bike? If a bike isn’t returned in a certain amount of time, your credit card will get whacked for over $1,000. Definitely not worth it, so make sure you get that bike back to a docking station before you wander off. (A green light on the station illuminates when your bicycle has been securely returned.)
The time constraints also keep the bicycles in play for everyone to enjoy. If you keep the bike longer than the allotted time allowed by your rental package, your credit card is charged $3.50 for each additional 30 minutes.
Just like renting a movie from Redbox, you are under no obligation to return your bike back to the same kiosk where it was originally rented. Bikes can be picked up and returned to any of the 27 docking stations in the city.
And don’t worry about riding at night. There are front and back lights built into each bicycle, which are powered as you pedal. LouVelo stations will have bikes available 24/7.
The bikes are equipped with passive GPS, so you can follow your routes, track your average speed and keep track of your calories burned through your account on the LouVelo website.
“We’re going to see more people have more options for transportation that wasn’t there before,” said Matthew Glaser, LouVelo general manager.
Of the 305 green and black bicycles designed specifically for Louisville, five bikes are red - a tribute to Louisville’s own Muhammad Ali. The story goes, that as a young boy his red bicycle was stolen and he wanted to learn to box to get that bike back.
Dave Nelson, CycleHop’s chief operating officer, previously told The Courier-Journal that Louisville is one of about 100 North American cities and at least 1,000 communities worldwide that have bike-sharing programs. The program will reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion, introduce a popular alternative form of transportation and promote healthy living, he said.
CycleHop runs bike-sharing programs in about 15 cities, from Florida to California and Canada.
In total, the Louisville program has 28 stations and 305 bicycles. One station remains in storage as a backup and 27 stations are ready for public use. To see a full list of stations, visit www.LouVelo.com.
“For me, I think one of the best advantages is being able to park your car and keep it there, but still bike out for errands and lunch,” Glaser said Wednesday as he removed a shipping sticker from one of the new bikes being placed in a docking station. “Bikeshare and local business seem to go hand-in-hand, so I think it fits our local culture and dedication to keeping Louisville unique.”
Ready to ride? Customers can purchase rides at kiosks at the 27 docking stations or online at www.LouVelo.com. You can also book your trip on the Transit App.
Once you’ve paid, unlock the bike with a code or membership card and away you go.
___
Information from: The Courier-Journal, https://www.courier-journal.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.