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Ann Arborites love their bicycles.

(Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News)

A new community bike share program is set to launch in Ann Arbor in spring 2014 with 14 stations and 125 bicycles.

The proposed system is funded largely through federal grant monies and operational funding contributions from the University of Michigan.

But it doesn't have a name yet.

To participate, visit the bike share Facebook page or the CEC's website. Participants also can submit ideas directly via email to bikeshare@cec-mi.org.

The Ann Arbor-based Clean Energy Coalition, which has taken a lead role on the project, is asking the community for help with that.

The CEC, along with other program partners — Ann Arbor, U-M and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority — are exploring ideas for a name, and some suggestions so far have included "Ann Arbor Bike Share," "Ann Arbor B-Cycle" and "MiBike."

Bike share program names from other cities include “Divvy” in Chicago, “Capital Bikeshare” in Washington, D.C., “Hubway” in Boston, and “Bike Chattanooga Bicycle Transit System” in Tennessee.

The CEC invites members of the community to show their support for existing name suggestions and to offer their own ideas online or via email.

Students and residents alike are encouraged to propose new names that play on "A2" or other nicknames for Ann Arbor.

To participate, visit the bike share Facebook page or the CEC's website. Participants also can submit ideas directly via email to bikeshare@cec-mi.org.

Submissions will be accepted through Nov. 15. All participants will be entered into a drawing for a one-year subscription to the new bike share program.

CEC officials said the program hit several milestones this week when it received its first signed contract from the city of Ann Arbor to provide the local match portion of the program's capital funding. It also hosted a representative from B-Cycle, the selected equipment vendor, on a walking tour of possible bike share station locations within the downtown and U-M campus area.

B-Cycle is now evaluating pre-selected locations to test the feasibility of hosting stations at each site.

The City Council voted 9-2 in August to move forward with launching the bike sharing program by next April, with opposition from Council Members Marcia Higgins, D-4th Ward, and Sally Hart Petersen, D-2nd Ward.

The CEC, in partnership with AAATA, secured a $600,000 federal grant for capital costs and the city is providing $150,000 in matching funds over the next two years.

U-M has pledged $600,000 to help cover operations for the first three years, with memberships and other sponsorships expected to cover the rest.

Anyone age 18 and up will be able to join as either a daily, weekly or annual member with easy access to rentable bicycles by swiping a membership card or credit card at one of the kiosks. Bicycles can be returned to any station in the network.

Early estimates show day passes costing $5, weekly passes costing $20 and annual memberships costing $60.

There also is a bike share program now up and running in Lansing called "Capitol Community Bike Share."

Ryan Stanton covers Ann Arbor city hall for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com or 734-623-2529 or follow him on Twitter.