Starting this spring, cruising around downtown Detroit will be an option 24 hours a day, seven days a week, when the Detroit Bike Share program opens for business, allowing individuals to rent bikes more easily.
Phase One will include 43 stations and 430 bicycles maintained by Shift Transit. Assembled with proprietary hardware that improves sustainability and security, the bicycles feature:
Although bike share kiosks will operate via solar power, bikes may be used in all weather and times of day. An electromagnetic system automatically locks bikes when they’re returned to docking stations. Smartphone apps will provide users with even more convenience.
“There will be two apps related to bike share,” said Nuszkowski. “The first will be specific to our system and will let users know the number of available bikes at stations throughout the system in real-time. That app is under development and will launch with the system in the spring. The second app, Transit app, is available now (without Detroit Bike Share information at present, but it will include our information when Phase One launches). With this app, you can compare various transit modes, costs and timing.”
Nuszkowski said fees are still to be determined, but choices will include daily, weekly and monthly options.
The Phase One service map stretches from downtown to New Center, and from Eastern Market to Clark Park in Southwest Detroit, as well as east along the riverfront, stopping just short of the bridge to Belle Isle. Additionally, the city plans to add 20 miles of protected bike lanes to surface streets (such as Cass Avenue) within six months.
For a limited time, Detroit Bike Share invites the public to suggest station locations at this website. Citywide service is Detroit.
