[Durham INC] Dockless Bike Share Launches in Durham Next Week

[PublicAffairs]

[Title: City of Durham logo]


CITY OF DURHAM
Office of Public Affairs
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, NC 27701

News Release


News Media Contact:
Amy Blalock
Public Affairs Manager
(919) 560-4123 x 11253
(919) 475-7735 (mobile)
Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov<mailto:Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov>
http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC
http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC
http://YouTube.com/CityofDurhamNC
http://Instagram.com/CityofDurhamNC



For Immediate Release: November 21, 2017


Share! Dockless bike share launches in #Durham on Monday, Nov. 27 with @spincities and @limebike deploying 300 bikes for public use: http://bit.ly/2zVRn3B


Dockless Bike Share Launches in Durham Next Week
Spin and LimeBike Bikes Soon Available for Public Use; Bikes to Debut Monday in CCB Plaza

DURHAM, N.C. – Dockless bike share<http://durhamnc.gov/3219/Bike-Share> − a new mobility option − is rolling out in Durham next week.

Beginning Monday, November 27, LimeBike<http://www.limebike.com> and Spin<http://www.spin.pm> will begin deploying 300 bikes for public use throughout the Bull City with additional operators and bikes to soon follow. City of Durham Transportation staff along with LimeBike and Spin representatives will debut the new dockless bikes and explain Durham’s new bike share program on Monday, November 27 at 11 a.m. in CCB Plaza, located at the corner of Corcoran and West Parrish streets in downtown Durham.

The bikes work best for short trips, such as going to lunch, the bus stop, or getting someplace faster than walking. The bikes have a GPS and built-in lock, so residents can ride them anywhere in the city. When users get to their destination, they simply park the bike upright, lock it, and make sure it’s not blocking driveways, sidewalks, crosswalks, loading zones, accessible parking spaces, bus stops or street corners.

Once the bikes come to Durham next week, they can be located and rented using each company’s smartphone app and the cost is usually $1 for 30 minutes. If users do not have a smartphone or credit card, access cards will soon be available for purchase at Durham City Hall, located at 101 City Hall Plaza, and the Durham Station Transportation Center, located at 515 W. Pettigrew St.

According to Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner Bryan Poole<mailto:Bryan.Poole at DurhamNC.gov> with the City’s Transportation Department, since the bikes do not need to be locked to a bike rack, they might show up in new places. “While it might seem like they have been abandoned, they are just waiting for the next customers,” Poole said. “The bikes do not need to be at a traditional rack, but should be parked upright, properly stored and locked. If residents see a bike that is not parked correctly, or if it has not moved for more than seven days, they should contact the company directly and report it.”

According to Poole, one of the main benefits of dockless bike share is that it operates with no investment from the City. After numerous bike share companies expressed an interest in operating in Durham, the City’s Transportation Department recommended developing a permit process for dockless bike share operation. The City Council approved an ordinance<http://cityordinances.durhamnc.gov/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Documents/ViewDocument/Final-Published%20Attachment%20-%2012128%20-%20ORDINANCE%20-%20ORDINANCE%20AMENDMENT%20-%2010_16_201.pdf?meetingId=218&documentType=Agenda&itemId=5892&publishId=25175&isSection=false> last month establishing a permit process<http://cityordinances.durhamnc.gov/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Documents/ViewDocument/Final-Published%20Attachment%20-%2012128%20-%20ORDINANCE%20-%20ORDINANCE%20TO%20ESTABLISH%20BIKE%20S.pdf?meetingId=218&documentType=Agenda&itemId=5892&publishId=25176&isSection=false> and two companies – LimeBike and Spin − have now been approved.

Durham joins a growing number of cities embracing dockless bike share programs, including Greensboro, NC<https://parking.uncg.edu/sustainable-transportation/bike/limebike/>, Charlotte, NC<http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/whats-in-store/article183323136.html>, Seattle, WA<https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikeshare.htm>, and Washington DC<https://ddot.dc.gov/capitalbikeshare>. For more information about Durham’s new dockless bike share program, contact Poole at (919)-560-4366, extension 36423 or Bryan.Poole at DurhamNC.gov<mailto:Bryan.Poole at DurhamNC.gov>.

About the City of Durham Transportation Department
The Transportation Department<http://durhamnc.gov/1002/Transportation> is responsible for a broad range of transportation services, which include traffic signs and signals, transportation planning, parking operations<http://www.parkdurham.org/>, street lighting, taxicab administration, and bicycle and pedestrian planning. The department also oversees GoDurham<http://godurhamtransit.org/> and GoDurham ACCESS<http://godurhamtransit.org/access> as well as leads planning functions for the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO)<http://www.dchcmpo.org/>, which is the regional organization that is responsible for planning and programming state and federal transportation projects in the urbanized areas of Durham, Orange, and Chatham counties. Guided by the City’s Strategic Plan<http://durhamnc.gov/183/Strategic-Plan>, the department helps to strengthen the foundation, enhance the value, and improve the quality and sustainability of neighborhoods that are necessary for a strong and diverse community.

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