The locations of the first 60 stations for the bike-share system launching here in the spring were announced Wednesday by Explore Bike Share (EBS).
The stations span from Uptown and Crosstown to Overton Square and Cooper-Young to Downtown and South Memphis. (See all 60 locations at the bottom of the page.)
“We’ve made an organizational commitment to create an equitable system that is affordable, available and sustainable,” Bike Share executive director, Trey Moore, said. “While we believe this site map reflects our mission wholeheartedly, we’re intentionally installing a system with malleable components to allow for potential shifting within neighborhoods or intersections as needed.
“Therefore, if a station is best suited on the other side of the storefront or on an adjacent street, we’ll assess the data, listen to the community and reconfigure.”
Additionally, with two stations in West Memphis, Memphis’ system will be the first in the country to stretch across state lines.
“We’ve felt the impact of bike traffic into West Memphis due to the connectivity of Big River Crossing, so we knew we needed to invest in this bike share system,” executive director of the West Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau Jim Jackson said.
Factors like solar power accessibility, density, proximity to other transit options, and neighborhood usage helped EBS staff decide where the stations should go. Community engagement also played a large role in the selection process. An online interactive map where residents could “pin” their preferences for locations had over 3,500 suggestive pins.
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“Rather than simply putting bikes on the street and reacting, we’re proactively giving Memphians the opportunity to have ownership over these bikes and their locations,” community engagement and marketing director for EBS Sara Studdard said. “They’re putting pins in a map, guiding our site planning practice, and even eagerly unboxing the bikes hours after arrival into the market.
“We’re grateful for the involvement from every kind of Memphian imaginable. This system truly is built for Memphis by Memphians.”
The system coming to Memphis is the first and largest of its kind in country, according to EBS. Fueled by solar power, the bikes are equipped with forward-facing touchscreens that give turn-by-turn directions and suggest popular routes, while detailing information about the ride, such as miles ridden and calories burned.
Pricing and membership options were also announced Wednesday. A single ride will cost $5, while weekly, monthly, and annual memberships range from $12 to $120. With each membership option, riders get unlimited 60-minute rides, as long as the bike is checked in at one of the 60 stations each hour.
Memberships aren’t available to purchase yet, but two other payment opportunities are live on the Bike Share site. For $500, you can get a one-year membership and the chance to personalize a bike with an inscription of your choosing. For $200, the “Give Your Neighbor a Lift” option buys you, as well as one Memphian in need of transportation access a one-year membership.
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“We’ve said from day one that every Memphian deserves access to quality transportation options,” EBS board member, Roshun Austin, said. “We’re all paying it forward with Explore Bike Share, whether through a ‘Give Your Neighbor a Lift’ donation, a new bike programming series around town, or simply advocacy for our organization.”
Explore Bike Share will expand its fleet by 300 bikes in spring 2019, and stations will possibly extend down the Greenline to Shelby Farms.
Station Locations:
