By TB REPORTER

A timeline for when the program will start operating in St. Pete is expected to be discussed.

ST. PETERSBURG — Bike  sharing is coming closer to reality in St. Pete.

The City of St. Petersburg and Coast Bike Share will host a kickoff meeting for the St. Petersburg Bike Share System on Wednesday (June 15). The meeting, to be held at the Sunshine Center, 330 5th St. N, at 6:30 p.m., will introduce details about the system, how bike share will work in St. Petersburg and projected timelines. The public is invited to attend and suggest potential station locations throughout the proposed operational area.

Coast Bike Share’s expansion to St. Petersburg will feature 300 bikes, owned by the city, across what’s anticipated to be 30 stations, doubling its current footprint. St. Petersburg continues its successful active transportation programs and increases urban mobility with Bike Share by making bicycles readily available for short to medium trips. The program will build on the city’s extensive network of approximately 115 miles of bicycle facilities citywide and the Healthy St. Pete Initiative that encourages residents and visitors to eat, play, shop and live healthier. With hundreds of bikes around town, it’s transit at your speed, a healthy, fun and affordable way to breeze around town.

“Having a multitude of transportation options is becoming more important to many of the residents and visitors of St. Petersburg,” said Evan Mory, St. Petersburg’s Director of Transportation and Parking Management. “I’m excited that we’re able to bring bike share to St. Petersburg as a new transportation, health and economic development initiative. As a region not known for excellent public transportation, every small step that we can make towards having more ways to effectively get around, besides continued reliance on privately owned and operated motor vehicles, is a step in the right direction.”

“The grid system of St. Petersburg’s streets, extensive bicycle infrastructure, and thriving arts and food culture is a perfect fit for two-wheeled transportation,” said Eric Trull, Coast’s Program Director. “We’re excited to be able to provide the mechanism for residents to not only navigate and explore their own cities, but be able to experience the city across the bay in a much different capacity than they had previously, be it Tampa or St. Petersburg.” Members of Coast will be able to utilize the bikes across the region. Monthly memberships start at $15 per month.

The Coast program is managed by Cyclehop, LLC a bike share consulting and operations company with 20 years of experience in the cycling industry. To find out more information or to join, please visit CoastBikeShare.com.

St. Petersburg | Transportation | Bike Sharing | TB Reporter

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