Pedal Power

After a hugely successful first season that logged nearly 103,000 rides, Denver B-Cycle officially reopens today after a three-and-a-half month hiatus. The bike-sharing program, which now comprises fifty kiosks and 500 red bikes around the city, has made several improvements since last year. Each kiosk now has a full-color LCD screen, which will be more responsive than the old monitors. They’ll also have more on-site computing power, so each kiosk won’t depend on a central server.

“That’s a big one. We had a lot of problems with connectivity last year,” says Denver Bike Sharing executive director Parry Burnap.

The pricing structure has also been simplified, making it slightly cheaper for short-term use and slightly more expensive for rentals over an hour. The goal is to keep the bikes circulating from kiosk to kiosk rather than staying with any one person for long stretches of time.

Burnap hopes more and more people will use the bikes for things like commuting. “Our goal is to change transportation patterns and get people out of their cars,” she says. A one-year membership, typically $65, can be purchased for $49 from now until April 22nd. Find more information at denver.bcycle.com.
Mon., March 14, 2011