John Faherty

jfaherty@enquirer.com

Cincy Bike Share, now officially Red Bike, is getting close to operation. As of Thursday, six of the bike racks were in place.

They are at Fountain Square, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, City Hall, Sawyer Point, Great American Ball Park and the Aronoff Center.

But the bikes are not yet in place. Eventually 35 stations holding 260 bikes will dot downtown, Over-the-Rhine and Uptown.

So what is Red Bike exactly? Well, it's a bike share program. It's like a taxi or a bus for people looking for short trips around town. A user will be able to take a bike from one spot and go to another. Imagine you are in your office downtown and you need to get to a lunch in Over-the-Rhine. You can ride a bike. Or if you have an early dinner and want to get to a Reds game. You can ride a bike.

Just take a bike from one rack, and park it at another. The racks will be placed strategically to promote usage.

The idea is that it will be fast and easy and save the environment and you will not need to find a parking place.

In 2012, Cincinnati's Department of Transportation and Engineering conducted a feasibility study that pointed to the urban core because of its population density, the mixture of housing and businesses and a supportive environment.

According to the study, "the downtown/OTR area makes for a logical first deployment of bike sharing in Cincinnati. ... Redevelopment in these areas has also shown a commitment to healthy and active lifestyles."

The study also liked downtown's slow traffic, generally flat topography and well-connected streets.

"It's a system of transportation. It's not bike rental," said Jason Barron, executive director of Red Bike, told The Enquirer when first announcing the program. "It will fit in with taxis and the bus and the streetcar."

And riding in the city is fun. Just follow the rules in place for cars and pay attention, because cars and their drivers can do surprising things and helmets will not be part of the rental.

Red Bike has not determined the cost structure yet for day fees for an annual membership, Barron said. That will be determined soon, as the program should be up and riding sometime in September.

This spring, Mayor John Cranley proposed $1.1 million for the program. City Council approved the money and things got moving quickly.

Up next for the rack locations are Horseshoe Casino, the Duke Energy Convention Center and eventually spots near the University of Cincinnati and the hospital complex.

"We've been working hard over the last few years to add bike lanes throughout the city, which tends to encourage new riders and make people feel safer riding in the street," said Mel McVay, a senior city planner with the city of Cincinnati's Department of Transportation & Engineering. "Bike share is another important piece of that puzzle. The convenience of a bike share system opens up bicycling as an option for people who maybe would like to be using a bike to get around, but haven't yet taken that first step."