Bike-share program to pedal into Camden

CAMDEN - A high-tech bike-share program already operating in cities like Shanghai and Seattle will arrive here soon.

Patrons of the ofo service can use smartphone apps to locate and unlock available bikes, then ride for $1 an hour, according to the San Francisco-based venture.

The innovative service doesn’t use the parking docks that line the curbs in other cities with bike-share services.

Instead, customers push a lever to lock bikes at the end of their trips, leaving them behind for the next rider.

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“There’s the potential for bicycles to really serve as public transportation,” said ofo spokesperson Caroline Samponaro, who predicted dozens of bright yellow bikes will appear on Camden streets next month.

Camden City Council on Tuesday authorized an agreement for a demonstration project and feasibility study with ofo, whose name is meant to look like a bicyclist.

The service would run initially from May 1 to Dec. 31.

"It's almost like an Uber for bikes," city spokesman Vince Basara said Monday.

"We're basically assessing it, trying to see what the need is and taking it from there," he said.

According to the resolution before council, the city wants to provide access to “safe, affordable, innovative and environmentally friendly transportation options.” It suggests the bikes will promote the use of greenways and trails planned as part of the city’s turnaround.

Similar programs elsewhere have shown bikes are in most demand during morning and afternoon rush hours, said Samponaro.

She predicted the service would be popular with the city’s college students, but that residents would also bike between neighborhoods and on shopping trips.

“People start to use these for their regular transportation,” said Samponaro, who noted ofo offers long-term discounts for frequent users. “It doesn’t have to be a one-size-fits-all.”

The program, for riders 18 and older, will have no cost to the city, she added.

Council’s resolution describes ofo as an “app-based” program that connects users to bikes outfitted with “smart lock technology.” The bikes also have GPS units, allowing customers — and ofo — to track their location.

According to ofo's website, the bike-share program identifies "preferred parking zones,” but customers can leave bikes “anywhere outside of the pedestrian right of way that complies with local laws and does not obstruct traffic.”

Council’s resolution notes the city "will notify enforcement agencies not to ticket or impound bicycles parked according to the terms of this agreement and local law.”

Among other restrictions, ofo says bikes are not to be kept inside homes.

Worries about theft and vandalism are “a very over-blown concern," according to Samponaro, ofo's head of public policy for the Northeast region.

"There are some bad apples,” she acknowledged. "But people grow to depend on the bikes because they’re shared transportation vehicles. They want to take care of them.”

An “operations team” would maintain the bicycles and ensure a large supply is available near transportation centers or other central areas. The service would provide liability insurance in the event of accidents involving riders.

The bike-share service, with international headquarters in Shanghai, was founded in 2014 by a student at Peking University in Beijing. It now offers more than 10 million bikes in 17 countries, according to the company’s website.

The resolution calls for Cooper's Ferry Partnership, which coordinates economic development in the city, to oversee the demonstration project.

Jim Walsh: @jimwalsh_cp; 856-486-2646; jwalsh@gannettnj.com

Ride Your Bike

The 9th annual Sustainable Cherry Hill Earth Festival takes place Saturday, April 28 at Croft Farm, 100 Borton’s Mill Road. The event will kick off with a Family Fun Bike-Ride at 8 a.m., and will conclude at 2 p.m. Bike-Ride registration is at 8 a.m. and the ride, which includes a 2- or 9-mile loop, starts at 9 a.m. Call (856) 488-7868 for more information. The Courier-Post will support a free Bike Valet at the festival for anyone who wants to ride and leave their car at home. Visit www.sustainablecherryhill.org/2018-sustainable-cherry-hill-earth-festival/

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