by
Cara Greenstein, DCA | May 01, 2018
MEMPHIS—Today, in conjunction with the kickoff of National Bike Month, Explore Bike Share is proud to announce its official 60-station, 600-bike system launch date of Wednesday, May 23.
“Our full-staff team of nine and BCycle operations partners are working around the clock to operationally implement and communally introduce a top-tier bike share system for the city of Memphis,” said Trey Moore, Executive Director of Explore Bike Share. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring these bikes to the streets and infuse them into the daily routines of Memphians and visitors.”
Community volunteers will ride the system’s initial bike fleet from Explore Bike Share’s Uptown warehouse on the morning of May 23 and congregate at Court Square for a community-wide celebration at 9:30 a.m. in partnership with the Downtown Memphis Commission. Coined “The Big Roll-Out,” Explore Bike Share’s launch day event will recognize partners, funders and sponsors, ambassadors and spokespeople across neighborhoods and sectors.
“The DMC is excited to partner with Explore Bike Share on such a momentous day for the Downtown and greater Memphis community,” said Jay Goff, Vice President of Operations for the Downtown Memphis Commission and Explore Bike Share board member.
At the conclusion of the DMC-hosted event at 10:30 a.m., a volunteer-led “station migration” will ride the 600-bike fleet to its 60 stations across the system’s service area. Interested volunteers can select their neighborhood destination of choice, whether Cooper Young and South Memphis or Crosstown and Orange Mound, to crowdsource the system’s first-time distribution of bikes into stations. EventBrite sign-ups are available through The Big Roll-Out's Facebook event.
“Our launch date marks a culmination of the Explore Bike Share’s deep relationships and research and core values,” said Porsche Stevens, Explore Bike Share board member and Crosstown Concourse community engagement coordinator. “We look forward to bringing every type of Memphian together.”
Visit “The Big Roll-Out” Facebook event for further event details and RSVP mechanisms for Explore Bike Share volunteers.
Additionally, all Explore Bike Share membership levels are transactional beginning today, allowing Memphians to purchase their annual, monthly, or weekly membership. Memphians are urged to make a transaction now, though their membership will not be activated until their first ride.
The “Pay It Forward” option, which supplies an annual membership to the donor and to another Memphian, supports the nonprofit’s mission to provide an affordable, accessible and approachable transportation for all.
To become a member, visit here.
Additionally, the next three weeks mark the perfect time to get involved from a sponsorship perspective—opportunities range from robust branding on the bikes themselves to very specific, targeted advertising on stations, in social media promotions, and through event marketing.
“The time is now for every individual and organization to take advantage of the benefits that come with this dynamic new asset for Memphis,” said Moore. “We’re ready for Explore Bike Share to officially roll in with a robust introduction and collective of partners and people.”
For more information, visit explorebikeshare.com.
ABOUT EXPLORE BIKE SHARE. Explore Bike Share is a Memphis 501(c)3 with a mission to create and implement a transportation tool to advance the city on multiple fronts—including but not limited to transportation, tourism, health, environment, and culture—through the development and operation of a bike sharing program with access to as many Memphians as possible. Initially launching with a 600-bike system on May 23, 2018, the system will expand to 900 bikes by 2019. For more information, visit
explorebikeshare.com