The B is coming to Richmond soon and Petronius Jones Park is currently scheduled to house a docking station. The B Bike Share will bring a new transportation and mobility option to Richmond that will allow people to “B Healthy, B Safe, B Fast” as they get around Richmond. The Department of Public Works is working closely with Bewegen Technologies of Montreal to finalize planning for the first twenty docking stations (to be dubbed “hives”) to be focused in the central business district and expanding outward to nearby parts of the City with a planned launch of the system this fall. People will be able to use the bike share system by purchasing a low-cost pass that range from a single day pass to an annual membership. With the purchase of any pass, the first 45 minutes of each trip is free, allowing low cost transportation for commuting, running errands, linking to transit, or just casual fun. The system will start with 220 bikes initially.
Bike share allows a user to quickly access a bike, make their trip, and drop off the bike at another docking station. It is the perfect “middle mode” for trips that are too far to conveniently walk, but too short to necessitate driving. In 2017 the City will expand the service area and density of docking stations by adding another 20+ hives and more than doubling the number of bikes to 440+. The expansion will also include the addition of pedelec (electric pedal-assist) bikes to the fleet, effectively flattening RVA’s hills, which will make use of the system more appealing and accessible to a broader range of people. Bike share has proven popular in cities large and small throughout the US and Richmond will be one of the first North American cities to introduce a pedelec bike share system. Find out more at www.TakeTheB.com
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