Tulsa, Oklahoma – Tulsa Bike Share announced the debut of their smart bike-sharing service, This Machine. This Machine will bring a state-of-the-art system to the community, while celebrating Tulsa’s rich cultural history. The system will be formally launched and be available for Tulsans on July 27.
The announcement was made at Saint Francis Tulsa Tough in partnership with their primary sponsor, The William K. Warren Foundation and Saint Francis Health System.
“The William K. Warren Foundation and Saint Francis Health System view bicycle access as a tool in meeting Tulsa’s transportation and recreation needs, and as a way to better promote physical activity and wellness,” said Tom Cooper, President of The William K. Warren Foundation. “We helped introduce the region’s first bike sharing system, the Tulsa Townies, along River Parks in August 2007. We are proud to support This Machine in 2018, and play a part in expanding this access to a greater number of Tulsans and visitors to our community.”
Bike share systems continue to be a key indicator of a city’s connectivity and accessibility, and a component that young professionals and corporations look to in evaluating a community. Bike sharing is an increasingly popular way for residents and visitors to experience a city: more than 35 million bike-share trips were taken in 2017, up more than 25 percent from the previous year.
The announcement of This Machine represents more than two years of planning by the City of Tulsa and INCOG.
“With the launch of This Machine on July 27, Tulsa will take a significant step forward in becoming a more walkable, bike-friendly community that provides meaningful alternative transportation access to its citizens and visitors,” said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum. “Having a world-class bike sharing system will build upon the City’s recent investments in transit through Vision Tulsa, and ensure Tulsa has the transportation amenities that visitors expect – and our citizens deserve.”
The state-of-the-art system will initially consist of 25 stations and 160 bikes, providing coverage to downtown Tulsa, River Parks, the Gathering Place, and Route 66 to the University of Tulsa. This Machine will be one of four systems to launch with BCycle’s – a subsidiary of Trek Bicycles – new smart-bike technology with an integrated touch screen display. Tulsa joins the ranks of Memphis, Tennessee; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming in having this best-in-class technology.
"We are thrilled to unveil our new system name and bikes to the public for the first time,” said Daniel Sperle, Executive Director of Tulsa Bike Share. “We have been working hard to develop a locally-oriented brand and an innovative system that will help transform the way Tulsans and visitors experience and move about our city. And we are proud to be able to share the culmination of that work today, during such an iconic home-grown bicycling event as the Saint Francis Tulsa Tough.”
This Machine will offer a variety of pricing options that meet the needs of everyone from commuters to fitness enthusiasts, or urban dwellers to tourists. Users will be able to choose to pay per ride, purchase a pass for the weekend, or become a monthly or annual member.
More information on This Machine can be found online at: www.thismachinetulsa.com.
About Tulsa Bike Share:
Tulsa Bike Share is a nonprofit organization created as a public-private partnership between the Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG), the City of Tulsa, and private sponsors.
In 2016, Tulsa Bike Share hired Daniel Sperle to serve as Executive Director. Daniel worked with bike share consultant Atla Planning & Consulting to evaluate the current market and select an equipment vendor for their initial purchase of capital equipment.
Upon evaluating the burgeoning bike-share industry, Tulsa Bike Share chose to forgo a more traditional, dock-based system that required significantly higher capital investments, and instead pursue a system that integrated emerging smart-bike technology – allowing bicycles to operate both in conjunction with, and independent from, physical stations. This system allows for more flexible travel, enabling the system to better meet the needs of Tulsans and visitors to our community.
In selecting this route, Tulsa Bike Share joins the ranks of Memphis, Tennessee; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in launching systems with this cutting-edge technology.
