The Nice Ride seasonal bicycle-sharing system is expanding its membership options and doubling the amount of time that online members can ride a bike without use fees.

Riders can now pay $15 for a 30-day “Pay As You Go” membership.

One-year and 30-day members who subscribe online will be able to ride a green Nice Ride bicycle for an hour before additional use fees incur. Riders who buy one- and 30-day passes with a credit card still have a 30-minute grace period before use charges kick in.

In addition, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is offering employers free 30-day memberships to distribute to employee groups.

Nice Ride launched in Minneapolis in 2010 and has since expanded to 170 stations across the Twin Cities. Typical usage fees are $3 for up to 90 minutes of bicycle use and $6 for each additional half-hour.

Rentals are expected to start up again for the season sometime this month, though a firm date has not been announced.