Bi-State Development Advances Regional Bike Share Program By Matthew Hibbard

Do you find yourself on your way to run an errand, grab a bite to eat or pick up something at the store – and wishing you had a better way of getting there? We have some good news for you. The gears are in motion for an affordable and convenient option to get around the St. Louis region.

Bike share.

Creating a bike share program in St. Louis isn’t a new idea – in fact, Great Rivers Greenway completed a feasibility study in 2014. Today, Bi-State Development is taking the next step and is working with regional partners to make bike share a reality in the St. Louis region.

For many people, bike share is a valuable resource that fulfills a variety of transportation needs: from quick trips around town to working with public transit to create 100 percent car-free commutes. It is already popular in many cities, and programs are popping up all across the nation. In fact, the U.S. has a total of 2,655 bike share stations in 65 cities, according to U.S. DOT statistics.

One of the first steps will be to secure funding, and a combination of public and private funds will be needed to support the project. The exciting news is that this plan is in motion. Bi-State Development has already secured matching funds and applied for a federal TAP grant, which if awarded, would be used to fund capital expenses like infrastructure.

Work on St. Louis Bike Share is just beginning, and service area, station locations, design and other operational details have yet to be determined. In the days and weeks ahead, we will be gathering your input to help shape what the bike share program will look like.

Survey: Provide us your feedback.

We will keep you updated on new information, as well as opportunities for you to participate with the development of this program.