Slc Bike Share

Through GREENbike, SLC Bike Share, bike stations will be placed throughout downtown Salt Lake City in strategic locations to create a network that’s useful for both residents and visitors. With the touch of a button, anyone can borrow a bike that can be returned at any downtown station (think Redbox, but for bikes). This network of 10 fully-automated, solar-powered bike share stations and 100 bicycles will be launching in April of 2013. 

The implementation of GREENbike will meet various needs in the Salt Lake area. The Salt Lake Valley is frequently plagued by poor air quality and more than 50% of this air pollution is from motor vehicle emissions. Increased usage of bicycles will help by eliminating short-distance vehicle trips and improving the connectivity of existing public transportation modes.  

According to the Salt Lake Valley Health Department, only 53% of Salt Lake Valley residents are getting the recommended amount of physical activity. Bicycling has the capacity to provide physical activity to users while meeting their transportation needs.

In addition, the development of bicycle infrastructure has also been shown to be more economically advantageous for local businesses when compared with motor vehicle infrastructure. A study by the University of Minnesota found that Nice Ride Minnesota (Minneapolis-St. Paul’s bike share program) users spent an additional $150,000 at local businesses over a season. 

In its first year we anticipate that our 10-station system will impact all of the previously mentioned needs. Use of GREENbike has the potential to eliminate more than 75,000 vehicle miles and almost 20,000 vehicle cold starts. In many instances, bike sharing is a person’s first step towards discovering (or rediscovering) their ability to use cycling as healthy mode of transportation. For example, 96% of first-year users of Lyon, France's Velo'V had not ridden in Lyon previously. If a GREENbike user includes 30 minutes of riding as part of their daily commute, that person would have the potential to lose between 7 and 14 pounds over the course of our 9-month bike share season. Each GREENbike is equipped with GPS, which allows us and the user to track the number of miles ridden, calories burned, gallons of gas saved, and the emissions that have been prevented.

Long-term we envision a regional, or even statewide, bike share program that will be accessible with one membership card and connected by our light and commuter rail systems.