If you go What: Official kickoff of Longmont bike-share program When: 4 p.m. Thursday Where: Bike and pedestrian underpass near Oskar Blues, 1555 South Hover St. More info: bike.zagster.com/longmont/

Longmont has launched a “soft opening” of a bike-share program that will officially open on Thursday with 10 stations around the city.

There will be a total of 50 bicycles that people who sign up for the program can check out for paid rides around the city.

“We are just trying to test them out right now,” said Longmont Transportation Planner Phil Greenwald. “There might be some little hiccups or kinks we will try to work out.”

The Longmont City Council gave initial approval last year for staff to look into a bike-sharing program to provide residents with more transportation options. The city eventually chose Zagster over two other vendors.

Zagster spokesman Jon Terbush said his company operates “turnkey” bike shares for cities, universities, corporate campuses and commercial and residential real estate properties.

“Everything is handled by us,” he said. “It makes everything easier and less expensive. We are different from everyone else, because we put it all under one roof. ”

Terbush said that Longmont will join Fort Collins and Westminster as the third city in Colorado to use the service. Boulder uses a different service: B-Cycle.

Longmont spokesman Rigo Leal said Thursday’s official kickoff will coincide with the dedication of a bike and pedestrian underpass that goes underneath Ken Pratt Boulevard west of Hover Street and will connect the Residence Inn with Oskar Blues.

Greenwald said that the some of the bicycle stations are sponsored by Boulder County, Visit Longmont, Longmont United Hospital and Oskar Blues. Depending on how everything goes, the city might add more stations and bikes.

“This is basically phase one,” he said. “If there are more sponsors, we are interested in getting more stations.”

John Bear: 303-473-1355, bearj@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/johnbearwithme