MoGo Celebrates 5 Years of Bikeshare Service in Metro Detroit
Milestone will be recognized with a Free Ride Day, pass sale, and community event
DETROIT, Mich., May 17, 2022 — This month, MoGo, Metro Detroit’s non-profit bikeshare organization, will celebrate five years of operation. The May 23 anniversary commemorates five years to the day that MoGo launched in Detroit and comes on the heels of reaching the 500,000-ride-milestone.
“MoGo is proud to provide healthy, accessible, and affordable mobility options to residents around Metro Detroit,” said Adriel Thornton, MoGo executive director. “We look forward to continuing serving the community for another five years, and beyond.”
MoGo, with the support of operations partner Shift Transit, title sponsors Henry Ford Health and Health Alliance Plan, Downtown Detroit Partnership, and the City of Detroit, launched on May 23, 2017 with 43 stations and 430 bikes around the Greater Downtown Detroit area, providing active transportation as far east as West Village, north to the North End, and west to Southwest Detroit. In the summer of 2018, MoGo began adding pedal-assist e-bikes in an effort to electrify the system and bring new micromobility technology to Detroit. In June 2020, MoGo added 31 stations in Northwest Detroit, Ferndale, Royal Oak, Oak Park, Berkley, and Huntington Woods.
Lisa Nuzkowski, MoGo’s founder and former executive director, said “It was an incredible joy to bring MoGo to life in 2017. To this day, every time I see someone on a MoGo bike, I am grateful to every rider, community member, business, sponsor, and partner who has worked together to make equitable, accessible mobility available to people in Detroit and throughout the region.”
Over the past five years, MoGo has championed equity, accessibility, and reliability in the micromobility space.
Of MoGo’s current Annual Pass members, nearly 30 percent subscribe to the Access Pass, a $5 annual pass which is available to any Michigan resident that receives state benefits such as SNAP or Medicare. MoGo has also offered a cash payment option since launch, giving unbanked individuals the same access to the system.
“Supporting and encouraging healthy choices and lifestyles for all is at the core of who we are and what we do. That’s why Henry Ford Health, along with HAP, has been a proud partner of MoGo, which allows Metro Detroiters to make those healthy, sustainable and affordable choices when it comes to transportation. We are proud to support an organization that shares our vision of wellbeing and inclusivity,” says Michelle Johnson Tidjani, executive vice president and general counsel, Henry Ford Health System and member of the MoGo Board of Directors.
MoGo has also made biking more physically accessible. Through its Adaptive program, MoGo has become a national leader in making biking available to those who may not otherwise be able to ride due to physical or cognitive challenges. This month, MoGo will expand its Adaptive offerings beyond the Detroit Riverwalk to include Downtown Ferndale. MoGo has also provided Street Skills classes since launching, teaching hundreds of individuals how to ride, and how to ride safely.
“From the start we knew the program would be of value to the residents and visitors to the Downtown and Greater Detroit region, but it has grown beyond our expectations,” said Eric Larson, Downtown Detroit Partnership president and CEO. “The fact that it serves such a diverse community with its adaptive programming is particularly rewarding,” Larson added.
With over 517,000 rides taken at 75 stations across six cities, along with the aforementioned programs, MoGo is excited to carry this momentum for the next five years and beyond.
“We are extremely proud to celebrate delivering five years of bikesharing service to the community,” said Shift Transit CEO, Edward Inlow. “The growth of the system and adoption of alternate transportation options in Detroit is a testament to the essential service it provides to a wide range of riders. E-bikes alone have encouraged more cycling, as we see they get used three-times more than pedal bikes,” Inlow added.
To celebrate the five-year anniversary, MoGo will be holding a Free Ride Day on Thursday, May 19, – in addition to every third Thursday of the month through October – a ‘50 percent off’ pass sale from May 20 through the 24th, and a community celebration at the Dequindre Cut Freight Yard on May 22. The festivities will begin at 3 p.m., followed by a bike ride with refreshments available upon return. Excitingly, the celebration coincides with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy’s summer kick-off. Information on all of these events can be found on mogo2.shoogamarketing.com, or on any of MoGo’s social media channels (@MoGoDetroit).
About MoGo
With 620 bikes located at 75 stations in metro Detroit, MoGo is a non-profit organization that strives to serve a wide range of people and needs. MoGo is made possible by generous support from its title sponsors, Henry Ford Health System and Health Alliance Plan (HAP), who have been partners in fostering healthy, vibrant, and active communities through bikeshare since 2017.
About Shift Transit
Shift Transit is a leading provider in shared mobility operations, managing 25,000 mobility assets on a daily basis. Shift Transit offers clients a robust suite of services, including vehicle maintenance, repair, recharging/refueling, rebalancing, marketing and sales, and government relations support. For more information, visit www.shifttransit.net.
