Fort Worth bike rentals are booming, and electric ebikes are providing the jolt
The atmosphere surrounding Fort Worth Bike Sharing is electric.
The city’s bike rental service has shown consistent growth during the past two years, despite the challenges presented by COVID.
Officials say much of the increase is attributable to the addition of electric bikes — or ebikes — which are an attractive option for pedalers who don’t want to work up a sweat during their ride.
Of the 398 bikes now available for rent in Fort Worth, 280 are the traditional red touring bikes, and 118 are ebikes, which are painted white.
“The ebikes are ridden twice as often as the red bikes,” explained Jennifer Grissom, executive director of Fort Worth Bike Sharing.
Fort Worth Bike Sharing was founded in 2013 as an independent nonprofit agency, but in January became part of Trinity Metro, Fort Worth’s transit agency, as a way to improve funding opportunities for expansion.
So far this year, ridership is up compared to the previous two years, Trinity Metro statistics show. During the first quarter, the agency recorded 14,633 rider trips, up from 14,291 trips during the first three months of 2020 and only 8,771 trips during the first quarter of 2019.
In all last year, 83,712 trips were recorded, up from 58,480 trips the year before.
“We have been growing consistently,” Grissom said. “As hectic as things were last year with COVID, we still maintained growth over 2019.”
The bikes are available for rent at B-Cycle docking stations spread across the city. Customers can rent bikes for $8 a day, or buy monthly or annual passes. This summer, 14 new docking stations will be added to various spots in the city, bringing the total number of B-Cycle docking stations to 60.
Many of the stations offer quick access to the city’s Trinity Trails, a system of about 100 miles of paved trails that roughly follows the Trinity River inside Loop 820, and is mostly kept separate from automobile traffic. The docking stations also offer access to popular destinations such as the city’s downtown area, West 7th, Magnolia, Near Southside, the Stockyards and Gateway Park.
Nationwide, bike rentals emerged during the pandemic as a key form of “micromobility” that made it easier for people to travel in areas not covered by traditional public transportation, according to the North American Bikeshare Association, an advocacy group.
Electric bikes not only make it possible for people to ride without sweating — which can be particularly important for those who want to ride a bike to work, or during a lunch break — but also provide a sense of security for those who worry that they aren’t physically fit enough to pedal long distances, or up hills.
The ebikes are equipped with batteries that can hold a charge for several hours of riding. The batteries offer a boost of power to gently assist riders as they pedal. Unlike the transmission on a motorized scooter or motorcycle, the power boost on ebikes doesn’t engage unless the rider is pedaling.
In Fort Worth, about 75% of all riders buy the $8 day pass, Grissom said. That’s a signal that many of the people renting bikes are either tourists or residents who make a spontaneous decision to go for a ride.
Long-term, Fort Worth Bike Sharing hopes to add five to seven docking stations and 50-75 bikes to the system each year, she said.
“We’re constantly applying for grants,” she said, “and looking for ways to secure extra funding for more stations.”
