The City of Rochester will be giving out bicycles this spring to individuals and organizations in need.

The city has about 200 bikes in its fleet. Those bikes were left over after the bike-sharing service Nice Ride halted operations locally.

To keep the bikes in circulation, the city began renting them out for free. Riders were required to return the bikes at the end of the day.

While that program will continue, the city is now making half of the bikes available for keeps. Interested individuals and groups can apply through these two forms: For individuals | For organizations.

In a news release, the city said the dual approach will “ensure maximum usage of the bikes.” The bikes will be provided to selected applicants in April. Recipients will be required to attend a basic maintenance course.

As for the remaining bikes, those will still be available for daily use through the Rochester Public Library. That program is set to resume in May.

Rochester’s bike share program is a collaboration between the City of Rochester Parks and Recreation and Community Development Departments, Experience Rochester, Olmsted County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership, Mayo Clinic, Rochester Public Library, Destination Medical Center, and We Bike Rochester.

Cover photo: File / Med City Beat