PRESS RELEASE
B-cycle Teams with the City of Chicago and Bike and Roll to Launch a Bicycle-Sharing Demonstration Program This Summer
B-cycle Helping Chicago Commuters and Visitors Get Green on the Go
CHICAGO, July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- B-cycle is helping Chicago residents
and visitors increase daily activity and reduce carbon emissions with a
major U.S. City bike-sharing system, Chicago B-cycle. Chicago B-cycle
will launch with 100 bicycles at six B-stations around the city,
offering a green alternative to cars for short commutes and errands. The
bikes will be available July through October 2010 and the following
spring. Locations include McCormick Place, Museum Campus, Buckingham
Fountain, the Chicago Park District Administrative Offices, Daley Plaza
and the John Hancock Center.
"Chicago has a national reputation as one of the best large cities in
the United States for bicycling. We've been working for many years to
lessen traffic by offering alternatives to using the automobile," said
the Mayor of Chicago, Richard M. Daley. "I want to thank Bike Chicago
and Trek Bicycles for their hard work in putting together this 'B-cycle'
project. My goal is to make Chicago the most bicycle-friendly city in
the United States."
B-cycle was formed by a partnership between Humana, Trek Bicycle and
Crispin Porter + Bogusky based on a shared belief that bicycles should
be a vehicle for positive health and environmental change as well as an
important part of a community's transportation ecosystem. Together, the
founding partners developed a bike-sharing system designed specifically
for U.S. cities, universities and corporate campuses. Chicago is
B-cycle's second installation and follows on the heels of the successful
Earth Day 2010 launch of Denver B-cycle - the first citywide
bike-sharing program in the U.S.
To check out bikes, residents and tourists can register on the
B-cycle Web site or at the B-stations conveniently located along the
lakefront and Loop. The program will be managed by Bike and Roll
Chicago.
"Bike-sharing was created for the commuter whose transit stop is two
miles from the office, the urbanite running errands, and the tourist out
sightseeing," explained Bob Burns, president of B-cycle and general
counsel for Trek Bicycle Corporation, a B-cycle partner. "With this in
mind, B-cycle offers a cruiser-style bike that is comfortable for people
of all sizes and biking abilities."
Bike-Sharing Gains Speed in the U.S.
First popularized in European cities such as Paris and Barcelona,
bike-sharing is quickly expanding around the world in places like
Beijing, Montreal and, most recently, Mexico City. Chicago is the fourth
U.S. city to set up a bike-sharing program in 2010, succeeding
installations in Denver, Minneapolis and Boston. Dozens more cities,
universities and corporations are considering such programs.
About B-cycle
B-cycle is a partnership between Humana Inc., Trek Bicycle
Corporation and Crispin Porter + Bogusky. The founding partners share a
belief that bicycles should be a vehicle for positive health and
environmental change and an important part of a community's
transportation ecosystem.
About Bike and Roll
Chicago B-cycle is owned and operated by Bike and Roll Chicago. Bike
and Roll Chicago was founded in 1993 and operates ten lakefront bicycle
rental and tour locations in the city. The company is managing partner
of Bike and Roll, a national network of bike rental and tour companies
with additional locations in Chicago, Miami Beach, New York City, San
Francisco and Washington, D.C.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100729/CG43377
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN15
PRN Photo Desk, [email protected]
Source: B-cycle
CONTACT: Jeremy Rothschild of Bike and Roll Chicago, +1-773-230-4422,[email protected]
Comments