Cutting-Edge Smart Bikes to Launch in Arts District
TULSA, OKLAHOMA - Tulsa will be one of the first communities in the U.S. to have a dockless smart bike system. Tulsa Bike Share will launch This Machine, bringing 75 bikes and 5 stations to the Arts District, with plans to expand to more neighborhoods soon.
“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.”
This Machine will be one of only four systems in the U.S. to launch with BCycle Dash, a new smart bike technology with an integrated touch screen display developed by Trek Bicycles. While requiring higher capital investments, smart bikes forgo a traditional, dock-based system that allows for more flexible travel.
The launch, which represents more than two years of planning by the City of Tulsa and INCOG, will be announced at Saint Francis Tulsa Tough, in partnership with Tulsa Bike Share’s 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, William K. Warren Foundation President. “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.”
This Machine’s system will expand to Blue Dome, East Village, Greenwood, OSU-Tulsa, Deco District, Cathedral District, and Route 66/University of Tulsa, with 160 bikes and 25 stations in the following weeks. Additional expansions are anticipated in 2019 and 2020.
Users can access the bikes from the BCycle mobile application on any smartphone. Rides will be free for the first week; after that, 30-minute single ride passes will cost $2 per trip. A three-day pass will also be available, along with monthly, annual, and founding memberships. Membership includes access to other B-Cycle systems across the country.
Bike share systems are 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.
This Machine will play an important role in the City’s transportation network, which in recent years has been at the forefront of development and planning by INCOG. “INCOG understands the importance of creating a transportation network that includes all forms of mode share -- bicycle, pedestrian, bus and automobile,” said Jane Ziegler, Transportation Planner for INCOG. “INCOG, with the input of 11 regional cities, including Tulsa, have created a regional bicycle/pedestrian master plan that will safely connect Tulsa’s surrounding suburbs to its business and entertainment districts.”
With its smart bike system, Tulsa joins Memphis, Colorado Springs, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in offering this new cutting-edge technology.
We are thrilled to finally be launching This Machine’s first 75 bikes,” said Daniel Sperle, Executive Director of Tulsa Bike Share. “Volunteers have spent countless hours building bikes, placing decals, and serving as ambassadors for the program. We are proud to launch a bike share program that is on the cutting edge of bike share technology that will transform how visitors and residents experience Tulsa.”
More information on This Machine can be found online at: thismachine.bcycle.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, with a mission to provide a safe, equitable, alternative transportation option to Tulsa residents and visitors. The name “This Machine” is a nod to Tulsa’s rich pop culture history.