Rialto will use $1 million in state funding to stock about 15 hubs around town with 100 electric pedal-assist bikes, a program aimed at providing an affordable and accessible form of public transportation to low-income residents.
The Rialto Bike Share Program is expected to launch early next year.
“Using bicycles as a means of transportation has grown in popularity as communities try to create more balanced and sustainable transportation systems,” Mayor Deborah Robertson said in a news release. “Our bike-share program represents a giant step forward in eliminating mobility barriers and creating greater equity throughout the city.” A recent study found that Rialto residents preferred such a system over other personal mobility options.
City officials last year recommended launching the program with up to 45 bikes and seven hubs.
With $1 million through the state’s Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Program, the city’s nascent and environmentally friendly system will offer residents a way to sign up for the service without the use of a smartphone. It will offer income-based discounts and customer service in multiple languages.
There will be hubs near transit stops, areas of employment and schools.
Electric pedal-assist bikes have an electric motor that adds power each time a rider pedals.
While the city is finalizing the cost of renting a bike, there will be a single trip option, day passes, annual memberships and discounted memberships for students and low-income residents.
Bikes will be secured using a built-in smart lock. Users will be able to park bikes at a designated hub or at a bike rack within city limits for an additional fee.
All bikes will have an onboard GPS chip, allowing a team to track bikes that leave town or go missing.
Riverside discontinued its bike-share program, Bike Riverside, in October due to vandalism and a decrease in ridership and revenue during the coronavirus pandemic.
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