BikeLNK Powers Up With Demo Fleet of Electric Pedal-Assist Bikes
Five electric pedal-assist bikes will join the BikeLNK fleet for March and April
After almost two years of successful bike sharing, BikeLNK is powering up with five electric pedal-assist bikes in March and April. E-bikes are the newest bike sharing technology that have helped bike share systems across the country increase ridership and become just a bit more fun. BikeLNK is excited to have the bikes in the system for two months to see how the community responds- they expect more rides and even more smiles.
The five bikes are a demo fleet of BCycle Electric bikes which assist riders as they pedal up to 17mph. There is no additional cost to use an e-bike, you just need a valid BikeLNK pass. To get the assist, a user needs to turn on the bike with a button located on the left-side of the handlebars. Once a rider starts pedaling, the electric-assist will match the rider’s power. BikeLNK plans to have a “home base” station for the bikes to be at each day to ensure they rotate around the system. The bikes will start at the “home base” station each morning and be brought back to the station three more times throughout the day. On Monday, March 2nd, the bikes will start at the 11th & P station located right outside Embassy Suites. BikeLNK suggests using the BCycle App to locate the e-bikes which will be shown with a little lightning bolt symbol on the station icon.
“BikeLNK is excited to take bike share to the next level in Lincoln by empowering them with a BCycle demo of 5 electric assisted bicycles,” BikeLNK City Manager Jamie Granquist said. “The community has really embraced bike share, generating over 77,000 trips on traditional bikes thus far. Let's keep rolling into the future, Lincoln!”
The demo bikes are the same model as the 90 electric pedal-assist bikes in Omaha’s bike share program, Heartland B-cycle. In Omaha, the e-bikes have been met with much enthusiasm causing Heartland B-cycle trips to increase by 118%. BCycle systems across the country have had great success with implementing e-bikes and BikeLNK expects the Lincoln community to have a similar reception.
"The BikeLNK bike share program plays an integral part of Lincoln’s transportation landscape, providing a sustainable choice for micro mobility in the Capital City,” said Lonnie Burklund, Assistant Director of Transportation at Lincoln Transportation and Utilities. “Innovative technology in transit, such as electric-pedal assist bikes, can help cities meet the needs of increased demand on infrastructure by providing accessible options for more community members to enjoy."
BikeLNK was made possible with a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant aimed at increasing air quality by reducing the number of car trips taken. Madison BCycle went completely electric in 2019 and their 2019 end of season survey showed that 37% of Madison riders are driving their car less often because of BCycle. “We have always believed that the bicycle is a simple solution to many complex problems. Electric-assist bikes are proving that they can be a true and effective way of replacing single occupancy vehicle trips,” said Lee Jones, Director of Business Development, BCycle, LLC. “Every BCycle system that has placed e-assist bikes in their systems has witnessed a significant increase in their bike share ridership. E-bikes are truly a game-changer.”
You can take a ride on a game changing electric pedal-assist bike from BikeLNK starting Monday, March 2nd and they will be available until the end of April. E-bikes can be located using the BCycle App or follow BikeLNK on social media to see what station the bikes will be “home based” on that day. Find more information about BikeLNK at www.bikelnk.com and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.