In celebration of Earth Day, Nike is offering people free Biketown rides starting on Saturday, April 22nd. Riders will have 200 new electric-assist e-bikes to use as part of a 500-bike expansion announced on Friday. At the event, Nike and its partner Lyft unveil 30 special Earth Day bikes depicting local landmarks. The added bike-share vehicles will expand the fleet to 2,000 units.
A 2020 expansion brought the service out to Montavilla and other points in East Portland. It coincided with the fleet’s upgrade to pedal-assist electric bikes. Just last year, Biketown hit a record of more than 575,000 rides, a 65% increase over the previous year’s ridership. Usage of the bike-share system continues to increase, and these added vehicles will help meet demand and better distribute bikes throughout the network of docks.
From April 22nd through the 24th, Biketown will waive fees for trips 60 minutes or less. Details are available on the program’s website. Participants need to download the mobile phone app before obtaining their free ride. The program operators hope this free ride weekend will encourage more people to take a bike instead of a car for some trips, reducing carbon emissions and helping the environment year-round.
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