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Summit County launches nation’s first all-electric bike share program

Elected leaders joined state representatives at bike rally on Wednesday

Angelique McNaughton
The Park Record
Lynn Ware Peek waves as she rides the Poison Creek Trail from the Old Town Transit Center during the city's launch of their electric-bike share program Wednesday, July 19. Groups left the Transit Centers in Old Town and Kimball Junction, meeting at the McPolin Barn along State Road 224, to celebrate the launch.
(Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

As Summit County and Park City officially launched the country’s first all-electric bike share program on Wednesday, dozens joined county and city leaders to test out the new bicycles.

At the July 19 launch, Summit County Council members Roger Armstrong, Kim Carson, Doug Clyde, Glenn Wright and Chris Robinson, along with County Manager Tom Fisher, joined City Councilors Andy Beerman, Becca Gerber, Tim Henney, Cindy Matsumoto, Nann Worel and Mayor Jack Thomas in ushering in the new program, along with several staffers and community members.

Participants rode the bicycles from the Old Town and Kimball Junction transit centers to the McPolin Barn for the bike rally, where they enjoyed refreshments and snacks. All 88 bicycles are electric, with pedal assistance that can propel riders up to 14.5 miles per hour.

“This is just another project that we have collaboratively worked on with the county,” said Alfred Knotts, Park City’s transportation planning manager. “These are regional issues that we have that are facing us and it is going to take regional solutions. This is another great project and being able to deliver this in a really expeditious manner.

“This is one of 850 bike-share programs around the world so Park City can now be a part of that group,” he said. “We’re not going to turn into Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Rotterdam overnight, but this is a big step in furthering our designation as a bicycle-friendly community.”

The station kiosks can be found at nine locations throughout the Kimball Junction area, Canyons Village at Park City Mountain Resort, Prospector Square and in Park City at the Park City Library and Old Town Transit Center, among others. The bikes were delivered on Tuesday.

“This is also part of a larger phase. This is Phase 1 of our deployment. Phase 2 we will be implementing next summer with additional stations throughout the community,” Knotts said. “We really encourage you to get out and utilize this as we build up the program.”

Chris Robinson, County Council chair, said the program is another example of the collaboration between the city and the county in trying to “move the needle on our transit and modes of transportation.” He said the program helps the first-last mile strategy.

“It’s really a great opportunity to be first in the nation with an all-electric bike share,” Robinson said.

Logan Wilde (R-Morgan), who holds the District 53 seat in the Utah House of Representatives, along with Evan Curtis, state planning coordinator in the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, and Tom Adams, director of the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation, attended the rally.

“These programs are really what I come to see and check out to share around the state,” Adams said. “The governor’s office, UTA (Utah Transit Authority), Bike Utah and UDOT (Utah Department of Transportation), we have all come together to collaborate on a plan to create bike-friendly bike paths. We have a goal to do 1,000 miles of bike-friendly isolated bike paths in the next 10 years.

“It’s kind of a big deal because one mile of paved bike paths is about $300,000,” he said. “…Starting next year we will have roughly $4.5 million to help with projects like this statewide.”

Representatives from the Canadian bike-share operator Bewegen Technologies, Inc., and Corps Logistics, a New Jersey-based company that provides bike-share program implementation and will monitor the system, were also on hand to answer questions and provide demonstrations.

Users can purchase a $2 one-time pass or signup for weekly, monthly and annual passes at the kiosk stations. Local workers and residents will be eligible for an annual pass for $90, which includes unlimited 90-minute rides throughout the year. Single-ride passes include 45 minutes of riding before an additional $2 is charged on the user’s credit card for every 30 minutes beyond that. Riders must be 18 years old.

For more information about Summit County’s transportation initiatives, go to http://www.letsgosummit.com/

Summit County


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