Changes may be in store for the third year of the city’s bike-share program as stakeholders look for ways to build usage.
ColumBIKE was launched by the Columbus Park Foundation in May 2016 with eight-bike rental stations and nearly 80 bicycles available for the public to rent.
Riders completed 2,967 trips the first year of the program, which ran from May to December. But that number dipped to 2,634 rides for 12 months full of 2017, said Kyle Roach, program lead financial analyst with ColumBIKE.
In addition, the number of annual $80 memberships that were purchased dropped to 40 last year from the 79 that were purchased during the inaugural year, Roach said.
To reverse ridership trends, executive director Dick Boyce said ColumBIKE officials are looking at reducing the cost of an annual membership and increasing the amount of time riders can be out on the bikes. Currently, individuals can check out a bike for $3 an hour, but Boyce said a two-hour charge of $5 is being evaluated.
“What we’ve heard is people saying, ‘Hey, I want to use the bike for more than an hour,” Boyce said.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
