The bike share system footprint also expands with a new station in North Chattanooga
CHATTANOOGA, TN (Thursday, July 20) – Bike Chattanooga has served the community for eleven years and is celebrating with the addition of 50 e-bikes, electrifying the Walnut Plaza station and expanding with a new station connecting the Hill City neighborhood.
“Bike Chattanooga is an important part of what it means to experience Chattanooga for so many of our residents and visitors,” said Mayor Tim Kelly. “Everyday, their fleet of bikes help folks commute, run errands, and sightsee in a cost-effective, fun, and flexible way. Expanding programs like these help us meet our transportation and mobility goals, and I look forward to seeing this resource continue to grow in the years ahead.”
Bike Chattanooga launched in 2012 and has seen steady growth in usage over the years, with the first half of 2023 docking 43,000 bike share trips. E-bikes were first added to the fleet in 2018, and generate up to 2.5x more usage than pedal bikes. Today, in partnership with Mayor Tim Kelly, we announce further electrification, with the fleet now totaling 105 e-bikes available to members, residents and visitors alike and the electrification of one of the most popular stations in the system at Walnut Plaza. From January to June, e-bikes have been ridden 88,000 miles across the city, offsetting approximately 80,000 lbs of carbon emissions.
As the program continues to focus on serving the community and city transportation needs, the addition of a new station in North Chattanooga, at 799 North Market St, expands the system footprint.
“Adding bike share stations in neighborhoods is an important part of providing transportation options,” said Ben Taylor, Public Works Deputy Administrator. “These additional e-bikes will open biking to more residents as they provide a welcome boost over our City’s hills.”
“The role of e-bikes is becoming more important as we support the growth of shared mobility options in cities across North America. Chattanooga is a perfect example and our team at Shift Transit is focused on continuing operational excellence to service the bikes, stations, and the program as a whole to meet rising demand,” said Edward Inlow, Shift Transit’s CEO. “We understand the impact our work provides with more people relying on Bike Chattanooga as the convenient, affordable, and sustainable way of commuting or leisurely riding through the city.”
To mark 11 years of Bike Chattanooga service, today, Thursday, July 20th, we invite the community to celebrate with a Free Ride Day:
- A Free Ride Day on Thursday, July 20 from 11am – 11pm. Everyone is welcome to take advantage of a $0 Daily Pass to enjoy unlimited 60-minute station-to-station trips for 24 hours. Redeem your free pass at a station kiosk or through the Transit or PBSC app. Overage fees apply for trips longer than 60 minutes.
To find a Bike Chattanooga station to get riding, please visit: https://bikechattanooga.com/
About Bike Chattanooga Bicycle Transit System
Bike Chattanooga is the City of Chattanooga’s bikeshare system, featuring 43 stations and 450 bikes, including 105 e-bikes. The program is managed by Shift Transit, a leading mobility operations company. Providing convenient and cost-effective access to a bike from the North Shore to St Elmo, the system spans from UTC in the east to the Convention Center in the west, along the full length of the Tennessee Riverpark. Each bikeshare station features a touchscreen kiosk, system and neighborhood map, and docking points which release bikes through the use of a member key or ride code. For more information, visit: www.bikechattanooga.com.