Bike-share program hits JC streets July 23

A biker makes his way down the bike trail, that begins on Dunklin Street, Monday afternoon.
A biker makes his way down the bike trail, that begins on Dunklin Street, Monday afternoon.

After two years of discussions, Jefferson City and Capital Region Medical Center will roll out a bike-share program this month, providing a healthy transportation method and potentially attracting people to the community.

Skinny Labs Inc. DBA Spin will debut a bike-share program in Jefferson City the week of July 23. Bike-share programs allow residents and visitors to rent bicycles placed throughout a city.

Jefferson City would be the second city in Missouri to have a bike-share program, said Amy Schroeder, community relations manager for the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department. St. Louis currently is the only city in Missouri with such a program.

The Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission approved a one-year exclusive contract with Skinny Labs Inc. DBA Spin in May to provide 150 bicycles and scooters to rent.

Spin will release the bikes and scooters in waves, with bikes hitting the ground first, Schroeder said. Scooters would follow shortly after the bike launch.

Riders can download an app and pay as they ride - $1 for 30 minutes. There also will be monthly and yearly rental subscription options.

The bicycles and scooters will be dockless, so riders can pick them up and drop them off anywhere in the city. Jefferson City will provide Spin with 10 primary bike locations, Schroeder said.

Schroeder does not anticipate any issues with people leaving bicycles around the community.

During a 1 Million Cups presentation Wednesday, attendees said they worried mischievous riders would toss bicycles and scooters into the Missouri River. A similar incident happened in St. Louis shortly after the city debuted its bike-share program.

All parties "fully anticipate some of these kinks along the way," said Ashley Varner, healthy communities coordinator and wellness navigator at CRMC. If this occurs, Spin will send employees out to retrieve, fix and replace damaged bicycles. Jefferson City and CRMC would not be liable for damages or injuries from the bicycles or scooters, she added.

Spin will rate riders for their use of the bicycles, similar to how Uber rates customers, to discourage misuse.

"If you were the last person to ride that bike and it's in the river, then you would be rated very low and most likely would not be able to unlock and use another bike," Varner said.

GPS in the bikes will provide data to Spin and Jefferson City so they can evaluate potential locations for new greenways and trails, a point 1 Million Cups attendee Linda Landon said she was excited about.

"Any time local government, associations, businesses use data to improve Jefferson City, that improves our city's ability to compete with the next city and county and state and other countries down the road," said Landon, a research consultant with Research Communique.

One feature Varner is excited about is Spin Access, a program that will allow individuals without debit or credit cards or smartphones to rent the bicycles and scooters. Riders can purchase a card from a partner business, scratch off the code on the card, and plug it into the bikes or scooters.

This will help low-income individuals take advantage of the program and provide another healthy transportation option, as JeffTran buses run 6:40 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"Beyond the fun and innovation, it addresses those basic needs of people in our community who need transportation and sometimes have to walk great distances, (or) their transportation is compromised," said Suzanne Luther, organizer of 1 Million Cups. "I just think it's a way to take care of the people in our community."

There will be an educational component, Varner said, since the bike-share program will open discussions about bicycle law and etiquette.

Spin's bike-share program comes at no cost to the city, while competing companies' proposals were priced $66,000-$90,000 annually. Spin receives funding from private venture capital and operating revenue from other markets.

The city will not make money directly from the bike-share program. Varner said she hopes it will have an indirect economic impact by attracting more people to the community.

Landon hopes the bike-share program will attract younger people to Jefferson City.

"We have a historical problem with attracting and keeping younger people who have innovative ideas and getting past that, 'Well, we've always done it this way,' (attitude)," she said. "This is a small step toward solving that problem and making Jefferson City into a new place."

Originally the city anticipated the bike-share program would debut earlier this month. The date was pushed back due to staff turnover at Spin.

Jefferson City and CRMC have been pushing bicycle-friendliness over the last year by adding bicycle lanes and racks, starting the cyclist-friendly business initiative, resurrecting the Jefferson City Bicycle Subcommittee and applying for a bicycle-friendly community designation.