Civic News

Baltimore wants to start a bikeshare program for real this time

Charm City Bike Share has $2.8 million in seed funding but the city needs help to get the program up and running. On Tuesday, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced a new RFP.

Baltimore City wants to encourage more two-wheeled transit. This is not news.
This is: The city transportation department is releasing a request for proposals (RFP) for “businesses or vendors interested in being considered to manage, operate, and maintain the Bike Share Program in Baltimore,” according to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. The city is calling it Charm City Bike Share.
“It will promote activity, healthy living,” said Baltimore Department of Transportation Director William Johnson. “It’s a sustainable form of transportation.”
The program would be similar to programs in other East Coast cities like New York, D.C. and Philly. Commuters would be able to take a bike from a rack and ride it to another rack that’s near their destination.
While officials need a company to operate the program, the city has about $2.8 million in seed funding from federal and state grants to get the bikeshare off the ground.
Initially, city officials want about 25 stations, and 250 bikes in the program. Details about where the racks would be located weren’t released at this point.
The city attempted to get a bikeshare under the same name up and running in 2014, but the effort crashed after a Montreal company that was selected to run the program filed for bankruptcy. In 2010, a company called B-Cycle was set to establish a bikeshare but couldn’t true the wheels.

Companies: City of Baltimore
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