GREENbike opens new stations
GREENbike, Salt Lake City’s nonprofit bike-sharing program, announced Tuesday that for the third time in two years it will expand its number of stations and bike fleet adding five new stations and expanding four existing stations.
The new stations are located at: 100 S. 500 East, 300 S. 500 East, 200 S. 200 East, 300 S. 300 West and at 450 W. 100 South.
The four expanded stations include: Harmons (100 S State St.), Life Elevated Station in front of The Salt Palace (200S W. Temple), Phillips Edison & Company Station (353 S Main St.) and the Union Pacific Depot Station (360 W 200 S).
GREENbike launched in April of 2013 with 10 bike share stations and 55 active bikes. With the expansion, GREENbike now has 25 sharing stations with over 210 active bikes at various Downtown Salt Lake locations.
The new stations were funded by a $176,000 grant from the WFRC, $75,000 from the RDA and $75,000 from City Council.
According to Ben Bolte, the founder and director of GREENbike, the organization has expanded 264% since its April, 2013 launch.
“Every time we add new stations the system becomes more convenient and gets even more people out of their cars,” said Bolte.
The expansion comes two months after GREENbike launched its Office Pass Program. The pass program offers reduced annual membership rates for companies and nonprofits ranging from $65 per person to $25, based on the size of the organization.
Current GREENbike rates are $5 for unlimited 30 minute rides during a 24-hour period and an annual rate of $75 for unlimited one hour rides.
According to the nonprofit, bike sharing improves health and air quality while decreasing traffic congestion and increasing the use of Utah’s existing public transit system. The public/private partnership strategically places stations in places determined to best connect downtown office workers, visitors and residents to employment centers, transit stops and popular destinations for food, drink and entertainment.
In 2014, 14,538 people rode 113 GREENbikes 46,264 times in 264 days, an average of 411 trips per bike.
Salt Lake is actively taking steps to make cycling in City a more convenient transportation option. The city is developing the Salt Lake City Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan with the goal of creating a 220-mile network of bike lanes by 2035 while increasing the percentage of city streets with bike lanes by 35 percent in 20 years.
In 2014 a protected bike lane was installed along 300 South from Pioneer Park to 600 East. Construction will start this summer on a second protected bike lane on 200 West from North Temple to 900 South. The 200 West protected bike lane will also include the Nation’s first protected intersection and connect to the 9 Line Trail, a bike trail built along an abandoned rail corridor from 700 West to Redwood Road at 900 South.
