It may not be the best weather for cycling, but that doesn’t mean the valley’s bikeshare program has gone into hibernation. The successful Bikeshare by RIDE Solutions program will be adding three new stations and 15 new bicycles into the network this spring, with a target date of March 15th.
This follows the program’s most recent expansion in October of 2017, adding stations in Roanoke’s Crystal Spring Village, the Virginia-Tech Carilion Medical School’s Riverside campus, Soaring Ridge Crafter Brewers, and at Roanoke’s Fallon Park. That expansion also added 15 bicycles into the system.
The March 2018 expansion is the result of new sponsorships by Freedom First Credit Union and MemberOne Federal Credit Union. While final locations for the stations are still being worked out, RIDE Solutions expects to establish stations at the Goodwill campus on Melrose, along the Lick Run Greenway in Northwest Roanoke, and an additional station serving the Roanoke River Greenway near Garden City.
When the network was launched in May of 2017, RIDE Solutions hoped to double the system size from 10 stations to 20 in its first year. With the March expansion, this will grow Bikeshare by RIDE Solutions to 16 stations. To date, the system has delivered over 5,000 trips to its nearly 2,000 members, including some hardy souls who have continued to ride all winter long.
Following the March expansion, RIDE Solutions hopes to focus on bringing stations to communities outside the City of Roanoke, with partnerships in Vinton, Salem, and Roanoke County bringing additional stations in June of 2018.
