Imagine having a bicycle available for a quick jaunt to the other side of downtown or West Asheville. It could happen — if a bike share program comes to Asheville.
In support of active and accessible transportation methods, the City of Asheville is conducting a study of whether a bike share program may be feasible for our community.
Bike share is a way for someone to use a bike for a short time at a reasonable rate. A bike share program is designed for short distance point-to-point trips. Some systems are station-based, like those in Chattanooga, Tenn. and Washington, D.C., while others use free-standing bikes from companies like Lime Bike or Zagster.
Under a station-based system, users have the ability to pick up a bicycle at any self-serve bike station and return it to any other bike station located within the system’s service area.
Could such a program work in Asheville? That is the question being explored by the bike-share feasibility study. The City has hired Alta Planning and Design and local firm Friction Shift Projects to do the study.
City staff wants to promote a community dialog and strategically assess whether a bike share program might be feasible in Asheville.
A bike share study steering committee formed in April as part of this community dialog. This group is comprised of local bicycle enthusiasts, bicycle and other business owners, and city staff.
Input opportunities
Share your thoughts on the potential for a bike share program in Asheville by taking an online survey on Open City Hall Asheville. The survey will remain open through July 22 as part of this feasibility study.
An open house style public meeting on this topic was held June 28 in Asheville City Hall, First Floor Conference Room North, 70 Court Plaza.
Find more information on the City’s Bike Share Study webpage.
For more information, contact Transportation Planner Barb Mee at BMee@ashevillenc.gov or 828-232-4540.