Madison Whisked Off Its Feet with TREK this Spring

Madison B-cycle is planned to start in May 2011 with 350 bikes scattered in 35 stations around this capital and University of Wisconsin town. According to the Journal-Sentinel Online, Trek Bicycle Corporation, part owner of B-cycle, will invest about $1,000,000 to start up the program. The City of Madison will pay $100,000 a year for 3 years to support the program. The income from subscriptions and usage fees will be split between the city and Trek. These fees are expected to be around the same as the other B-cycle programs.

There are B-cycle programs in Chicago, Denver, Louisville, San Antonio, Des Moines, and soon to be Ft Lauderdale and Boulder. Trek started the B-cycle system in partnership with the Innovations Center of Humana and Crispin Porter+Bogusky. Trek Corporate Headquarters are just outside of Madison, Wisconsin.

Update: Madison City Council approves its funding for B-cycle, Wisconsin State Journal
Update II: Trek Bicycles forgives the $100,000 yearly payment for Madison B-cycle for a yearly contribution of $1.00 according to Trek Bicycles in April 2011

image: stock

Russell Meddin bikesharephiladelphia.org

Humana's Freewheelin' Ridin' High

According to "Promoting pedal power" in the Louisville, Kentucky Courier-Journal, Humana Inc., one of the U.S.'s largest health care providers, has launched a bike-sharing program called Freewheelin' for its 8,500 Louisville employees. The program has 20 three-speed bikes with automatic shifters with five more bikes designed for longer treks, such as for commuting or lunchtime recreational rides. The system was designed by Canadian firm QI Systems, Inc. and uses Trek's Lime bikes. Presently, there are two stations, however, "Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson would like to see it expanded so city residents one day could check out a bike from a number of locations -- for example, to go wheeling around the parks," the article states.

So far about 2,000 of Humana's downtown employees "have enrolled in the program, and 300 or so have already used bikes [program manager Nate Kvamme said]. The company expects to add two more racks of bikes soon."

Other health care providers take note - bike-sharing is good for you!

This is only the 2nd bike-sharing program in the U.S. which I'm aware of. The 1st, also by QI Systems, is the Tulsa Townies program in Tulsa, Oklahoma which I've written about previously.

photo credit: The Courier-Journal