Knoxville City Council to vote on bike share for city

A bike share program may finally be coming to Knoxville.

The Knoxville City Council will vote Tuesday on a resolution that would allow the city to enter a contract with Zagster Inc. which would own and operate the bikes on city property. The agreement would require no initial investment from Knoxville.

Bike share programs work by providing strategically-placed bicycle stations around the city. Participants can pay to pick up a bike at one of the many stations and ride the bike to another station near their destination and drop it off for someone else to use.

According to the resolution, the program would focus on downtown Knoxville and “surrounding areas.”

Councilman George Wallace has been working with city leaders to get a bike share program to the city. He said previous deals fizzled because companies required large up-front costs from Knoxville, sometimes up to $2.5 million.

“I think when you look out at the cities who have done them not all of them have been successful … they folded up because there was no way to make the money back on bike rentals,” he said.

Zagster, on the other hand, makes money by placing advertising on the bikes and bike hubs and would require no money from the city.

Wallace said it is likely the city would begin with at least 10 stations of 10 bikes each.

Knoxville's sustainability director Erin Gill said the contract is only the first step toward a full bike share program.

"The City is excited to support the development of a bike sharing program in Knoxville," Gill said in an emailed statement. "Bike sharing programs can help improve sustainable transportation options for residents and visitors and promote an active and healthy community."

Zagster's communications manager, Jon Terbush, said the company is excited to do work in Knoxville.

"We're excited that the City is considering Zagster to deliver a bike share program that would provide the entire Knoxville community with a convenient, affordable and healthy way to get around," he said in an emailed statement.

"More than half of all trips taken in the U.S. are under three miles, yet most Americans don't have access to a bike. Zagster solves that access gap, offering people a great new way to get where they're going, explore their community and to just enjoy the simple pleasure of riding a bike," he said.

Next steps

If approved, the city, Legacy Parks Foundation and Zagster personnel will determine where the bike shares will go and, Wallace said, and will need to focus on the user experience – making sure the city is ready for an influx of bikes.

The city will have to determine routes for the bikes and if there will be more designated bike lanes.

Bike benefits

According to the resolution, benefits to the project include: