Regional
(2010-04-22)
DENVER, CO
(KUNC) -
On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the city of Denver rolled out the first large-scale bike sharing program in the nation. This morning's clouds and rain didn't seem to dampen the spirits of a large number of biking enthusiasts excited about the launch of B-cycle. The new program allows residents and visitors to the city to swipe a credit card or membership card, and access a bike for a few minutes to a full day. Parry Burnap is the Executive Director of Denver Bike Sharing. She says today's launch of B-cycle puts Denver at the forefront of what she hopes will be a national trend...
"We're the first large-scale (program). D.Cc has a small one they've been testing - 10 stations and 120 bikes. Minneapolis is right on our heels; the last number I heard was a thousand bikes. So this is catching on around the country. I've gotten calls from San Francisco, New York and Boston. It's a serious solution to urban transportation problems."
The program starts with 360 bikes at 40 stations, although Burnap says that will grow to about 50 stations and 450 bikes in the next several weeks. Burnap says donations and grants got the program rolling - and sponsorships, along with membership and usage fees, will sustain it.
Denver B-Cycle
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