CHICAGO – July 26, 2010 – B-cycle is helping Chicago residents and visitors increase daily activity and reduce carbon emissions with a major U.S. City bike-sharing system, Chicago B-cycle. Chicago B-cycle will launch with 100 bicycles at six B-stations around the city, offering a green alternative to cars for short commutes and errands. The bikes will be available July through October 2010 and the following spring. Locations include McCormick Place, Museum Campus, Buckingham Fountain, the Chicago Park District Administrative Offices, Daley Plaza and the John Hancock Center.
“Chicago has a national reputation as one of the best large cities in the United States for bicycling. We’ve been working for many years to lessen traffic by offering alternatives to using the automobile.” Said the Mayor of Chicago, Richard M. Daley, “ I want to thank Bike Chicago and Trek Bicycles for their hard work in putting together this “B-cycle” project. My goal is to make Chicago the most bicycle-friendly city in the United States.”

B-cycle was formed by a partnership between Humana, Trek Bicycle and Crispin Porter + Bogusky based on a shared belief that bicycles should be a vehicle for positive health and environmental change as well as an important part of a community’s transportation ecosystem. Together, the founding partners developed a bike-sharing system designed specifically for U.S. cities, universities and corporate campuses. Chicago is B-cycle’s second installation and follows on the heels of the successful Earth Day 2010 launch of Denver B-cycle – the first citywide bike-sharing program in the U.S.

To check out bikes, residents and tourists can register on the B-cycle Web site or at the B-stations conveniently located along the lakefront and Loop. The program will be managed by Bike and Roll Chicago.

“Bike-sharing was created for the commuter whose transit stop is two miles from the office, the urbanite running errands, and the tourist out sightseeing,” explained Bob Burns, president of B-cycle and general counsel for Trek Bicycle Corporation, a B-cycle partner. “With this in mind, B-cycle offers a cruiser-style bike that is comfortable for people of all sizes and biking abilities.”

Bike-Sharing Gains Speed in the U.S.

First popularized in European cities such as Paris and Barcelona, bike-sharing is quickly expanding around the world in places like Beijing, Montreal and, most recently, Mexico City. Chicago is the fourth U.S. city to set up a bike-sharing program in 2010, succeeding installations in Denver, Minneapolis and Boston. Dozens more cities, universities and corporations are considering such programs.

About B-cycle

B-cycle is a partnership between Humana Inc., Trek Bicycle Corporation and Crispin Porter + Bogusky. The founding partners share a belief that bicycles should be a vehicle for positive health and environmental change and an important part of a community’s transportation ecosystem.

About Bike and Roll

Chicago B-cycle is owned and operated by Bike and Roll Chicago. Bike and Roll Chicago was founded in 1993 and operates ten lakefront bicycle rental and tour locations in the city. The company is managing partner of Bike and Roll, a national network of bike rental and tour companies with additional locations in Chicago, Miami Beach, New York City, San Francisco and Washington DC.

Media Contact: Jeremy Rothschild

Media Contact Number: 773-230-4422

info@chicagobikesharing.com

The program will launch with 500 B-cycles at 50 B-stations around the city, offering a green alternative to cars for short commutes and errands.

“Denver residents embrace healthy and sustainable living, so it’s natural that Denver is now home to the first large-scale bike-sharing system in the U.S.,” said Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. “We’re confident that Denver can set an example for the whole country and show that bike-sharing is a viable transportation option to help improve the overall health of Americans and reduce our carbon footprint.”

B-cycle was formed by a partnership between Humana, Trek Bicycle and Crispin Porter + Bogusky based on a shared belief that bicycles should be a vehicle for positive health and environmental change as well as an important part of a community’s transportation ecosystem. Together, the founding partners developed a bike-sharing system designed specifically for U.S. cities, universities and corporate campuses. Denver is B-cycle’s first installation.

The B-cycle bikes are equipped with computers to track mileage, calories burned and carbon offsets. Riders can monitor their personal fitness, see their contributions to the city’s green efforts and connect with others online at www.Bcycle.com (click on link). To check out bikes, residents and tourists can register on the B-cycle Web site or at B-stations throughout Denver. The program will be managed by the newly formed nonprofit Denver Bike Sharing.

“Bike-sharing was created for the commuter whose transit stop is two miles from the office, the urbanite running errands, and the tourist out sightseeing,” said Bob Burns, president of B-cycle and general counsel for Trek Bicycle Corporation, a B-cycle partner. “With this in mind, B-cycle offers a cruiser-style bike that is comfortable for people of all sizes and biking abilities.”

First popularized in European cities such as Paris and Barcelona, bike-sharing is quickly expanding around the world in places like Beijing, Montreal and, most recently, Mexico City. Denver is the first of three U.S. cities to set up bike-sharing programs in 2010, with Minneapolis and Boston planning to install systems in the coming months. Dozens more cities, universities and corporations are considering such programs.

Denver B-cycle marks the return of bike-sharing to Denver after a successful pilot program at the Democratic National Convention in 2008. Humana, a B-cycle partner, teamed up with Denver Mayor Hickenlooper, the 2008 Convention Host Committee, the local bicycling community, and the nonprofit cycling advocacy group Bikes Belong to bring bike-sharing to the national political conventions in Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul. This put bike-sharing on the national stage and grabbed the attention of elected officials and policymakers from around the country–and area residents.

The test programs demonstrated bike-sharing’s viability and put in motion plans for permanent systems in both cities. Humana’s Innovation Center first brought bike-sharing to its Louisville, Ky., headquarters in 2007 to give Humana’s 10,000 associates a healthy transportation alternative. These efforts culminated in the formal expansion of bike sharing through B-cycle.

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/3985.html

“We are delighted to report that states, and statewide bicycle advocates, are using this program to target legislative changes, adopt new policies and even start new advocacy groups in order to improve conditions for cyclists,” said Andy Clarke, League president, in a press release. “Change at the state level is harder to see than in a community or business, but is no less important, and we are seeing real progress.”

At the top of the list are:
1. Washington
2. Wisconsin
3. Maine
4. Minnesota
5. Oregon

“Being recognized as a leader for three years in a row reflects the strong partnerships that have been forged over the years, as well as the smart investments that have been made at the local, regional and state level,” said Kathleen Davis, director, WSDOT Highways & Local Programs Division. “In Washington, bicycling plays an important role in our overall transportation system, giving people choices for commuting and recreation.” This marks the third year in a row that Washington has finished first in the ranking, and the second year Alabama has come in last.

The lowest scoring states ranked 46 through 50 are:
46. New Mexico
47. West Virginia
48. Montana
49. North Dakota
50. Alabama

Tennessee is one of the states that greatly improved its ranking; they jumped 20 spots in one year The state moved to 23rd place this year from their 43rd ranking in 2009. “The improvement in Tennessee’s ranking is due in large part to the better collaboration among TDOT, regional and municipal planners, legislators, advocates, and sharing of information across the state,” said Tom Evans, founder and secretary/treasurer of Bike Walk Tennessee. “We’ll use the 2010 rankings and feedback as a guide to prioritize efforts for future improvements.”

The League also is announcing the second round of Bicycle Friendly State awards, modeled after the successful Bicycle Friendly Community designation program. Four new states have been awarded the special designation, and two states received an honorable mention: Oregon (Silver), Delaware (Bronze), New Jersey (Bronze), Massachusetts (Honorable Mention), Florida (Honorable Mention) and Maryland (Honorable Mention). Along with last year’s winners, these states show what can be done to promote bicycling through model policies, programs and a built environment that accommodates bicyclists of all ages and abilities.

The BFS program links the League’s work with federal level and community advocacy throughout the nation and recognizes states that actively support bicycling. The state rankings were first conducted in 2008 and are conducted annually, with all questions and methodology remaining consistent to track states’ progress. The BFS rankings are based on a 95-item questionnaire that evaluates a state’s commitment to bicycling and covers six key areas: legislation, policies and programs, infrastructure, education and encouragement, evaluation and planning, and enforcement. The League offers feedback and technical assistance to states in an effort to improve their ranking as well as overall conditions for bicycling. The rankings are used to create momentum amongst states and communities to continue to become more bicycle friendly.