More than 38,000 people have used Portland's Biketown bike-rental program since it launched in July, taking more than 160,000 trips.

Top 10 Biketown stations

1. SW Salmon at Waterfront Park

2. SW Moody at Portland Aerial Tram terminal

3. SW River at Montgomery

4. SW 3rd at Ankeny

5. NW 13th at Marshall

6. NW Couch at 11th

7. SW 5th at Morrison

8. SW 2nd at Pine

9. SW Yamhill at Director Park

10. NW Flanders at 14th

Source: Biketown

Most of the trips were short hops of less than two miles. Biketown and the Portland Bureau of Transportation released the numbers Wednesday, along with results from a user survey that shed some light on how Portlanders are using the program.

Of the 2,400 users surveyed:

27 percent were from outside the metro area, while 73 percent were locals.

26 percent said they had used the bike-share system instead of driving.

64 percent said they were biking more because of the program.

The bureau also said the program, which was created with a $2 million federal grant but receives no ongoing public funds, was having economic benefits. Of tourists using Biketown, 71 percent said they used the system to reach shopping destinations or restaurants, and 69 percent of local users said they were more likely to patronize businesses near a station.

However, 3,000 of them signed up for annual memberships. The $12-a-month memberships will be key to the program's long-term sustainability, along with the backing of Nike, which paid $10 million to sponsor Biketown in its first five years.

Seattle's Pronto bike-share program -- smaller in bike fleet and in station area -- is set to be shut down in March amid continuing financial woes, even following a bailout from the city government. After selling 3,300 memberships in 2014, its first year of operation, the ranks of annual members dwindled to 1,874 last year, The Seattle Times reported.

Portland, however, has much more significant sponsorship revenue, and the city has shifted much of the financial risk for the program to its contracted operator, Motivate Co. of New York.

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjus

Updated at 4:51 p.m. to reflect new numbers on how many survey respondents were from outside the metro area.