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City of West Hollywood Approves Citywide Public Bikeshare Program

City of West Hollywood Approves Citywide Public Bikeshare Program

 New Service will Deploy 150 ‘Smart Bikes’ in 20 Self-Service Stations in West Hollywood

 Program is Anticipated to Launch in Spring 2016

 WEST HOLLYWOOD, August 19, 2015 – The City Council of the City of West Hollywood, at its regular meeting on Monday, August 17, 2015, approved the creation and implementation of a citywide public bikeshare program. West Hollywood’s new bikeshare, which is expected to launch in Spring 2016, will be operated by CycleHop, which plans and runs bikeshare programs throughout North America. CycleHop will also be launching compatible bikeshare programs in Santa Monica, in Beverly Hills, at UCLA, and in Long Beach in 2016.

“Bringing Bike Share to West Hollywood means more residents and visitors will have a transportation option that’s also great for a healthy lifestyle,” said West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath. “The more bikers we have, the safer biking will become, which will eventually transform our
car-centric culture.”

West Hollywood’s bikeshare program will feature 150 Social Bicycles (“smart bikes”), which utilize wireless technology to allow riders to use a smartphone app to reserve bikes, pay for membership, and track and share ride data with friends in online social networks. The bicycles will feature light-emitting diode (LED) headlights and taillights, and cargo baskets. To tackle steep climbs to Sunset Strip, the smart bikes will feature eight gears. Twenty self-service stations will be constructed throughout the City, and the City will seek to locate a limited number of additional stations at key destinations outside City limits. The City will soon be launching a suggest-a-station website to solicit community input on desired bikeshare station locations citywide.

Bikeshare is a convenient alternative to automotive or public transportation for short trips. At 1.9 square miles, the City of West Hollywood is well suited to bikeshare. The City’s residents, businesses, and visitors will be able to use the bikes for errands and commuting or for recreation and fitness. Bikeshare also makes cycling a more attractive option by eliminating the need to store and maintain a bicycle.

The popularity of cycling in the metropolitan Los Angeles region is soaring. In Los Angeles County, events such as CicLAvia, which most recently took place on Sunday, August 9, 2015 in Culver City, are demonstrating the region’s capacity to transform our relationship to car-free transportation. In West Hollywood, groups such as the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition help to catalyze interest in bicycling.

In recent years, the City of West Hollywood has made investments in bicycle infrastructure such as bike racks, bike lanes, and routes across the City. It has added bike sharrows to remind motorists and cyclists that a roadway is a shared space, is moving forward with the installation of bike lanes on Fairfax Avenue, and it has increased the availability of bike racks for parking. In addition, the City is in the process of updating its Bicycle & Pedestrian Mobility Plan, which evaluates and recommends improvements to the City’s existing bicycle network and facilities based on current best practices, emerging and innovative design strategies, and community input.

For more information, please contact Chris Corrao in the City of West Hollywood’s Long Range and Mobility Planning Division at (323) 848-6868. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.

 

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Contact

Joshua Schare, Public Information Officer

(323) 848-6431, jschare@weho.org

Lisa Marie Belsanti, Communications Manager

(323) 848-6378, lbelsanti@weho.org

 

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