Why so many people are renting bicycles as part of Fort Worth’s bike sharing program
Bicycle rentals are booming.
Fort Worth Bike Sharing, which offers 350 bikes for rent at specially-marked racks in the city’s central neighborhoods, has experienced a 50% increase in business compared to the same time last year.
“We have consistently been up, even in August with all those 100-degree days,” Jennifer Grissom, executive director of Fort Worth Bike Sharing, said in a phone interview.
Grissom added that May was the organization’s best month, when 13,600 people booked rides on Fort Worth Bike Sharing, more than double the 6,600 rides logged during the same month in 2019.
The pandemic has been rough on buses, trains and other parts of the nation’s public transportation systems, many of which have been operating mostly empty during the past six months.
But bikes are a success story.
At a time when many people are either working at home or unemployed, riding a bike is seen as a productive use of time outside the house and a great way to get fresh air, with minimal risk of COVID exposure.
During the early months of the pandemic, retail stores struggled to keep bicycles in stock, as thousands of residents sought to buy a two-wheeled, pedal-powered machine for exercise and commuting.
Those who couldn’t buy a bike of their own still has the option of renting.
In Fort Worth, a bike can be rented for $8 a day, or $20 a month, with some discounts available for groups, students, seniors and military members. Purchases can be made by credit card at any of the 46 specially-marked bike racks in the city’s participating neighborhoods.
National cycling trend
Fort Worth’s 50% bump in bike rentals is among the highest increases in the nation, according to BCycle, the company that makes the city’s two-wheeled vehicles.
BCycle said only a handful of other cities that use its cycles had experienced greater growth than Fort Worth. Las Vegas experienced that largest gain, with bike rentals up 186% compared to the same period a year ago, and San Antonio saw a 75% increase.
Cities that experienced growth, but not as much growth as Fort Worth, included: Omaha, Neb., 39%; Des Moines, Iowa, 29%; Houston, 21%; and Madison, Wis., 20%.
“The bike boom is real for personally owned bicycles as well as bike sharing, with no signs of slowing down,” Morgan Ramaker, executive director of BCycle, said in an email. “BCycle’s mission has always been to change the world by getting more people on bikes, and we’re embracing the momentum and cultural shift as consumers seek out bike riding for essential transportation as well as for mental and physical health benefits.”
BCycle, which is based in Wisconsin, recently released an annual report on bike sharing and found that much of the increase was related to cities offering customers access to e-bikes, which feature small electric motors that help with some of the pedaling. E-bikes are particularly useful for prospective customers who wish to commute to work by bike, because they allow riders to cover more miles without working up too much of a sweat.
In Fort Worth, about 60 of the city’s 350 bikes are e-bikes, Grissom said.
