BTA to host bike share demonstration event

Take a spin on a bike share bike.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Hot off the City Council adoption of a $2 million federal funding request to start bike sharing in Portland last month, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) is set to host a public demonstration of what folks can expect once the project hits the streets.

The BTA says attendees of this coming Tuesday’s (9/6) event will be able to kick the tires on several of the most popular bike share platforms currently in use throughout North America. Vendors expected to be at the demo include B-cycle (backed by Trek and two other corporations), Bixi (Montreal), NiceRide (Minneapolis/St. Paul), and Capital Bikeshare (Washington D.C.).

Bike share experts from B-cycle and from Portland-based Alta Bicycle Share (a spinoff company of Alta Planning + Design) will be on hand to answer questions. In addition to the various bikes, demo attendees will get to see how the kiosks look and how the docking stations work.

The event will likely be similar to one PBOT hosted back in June 2009.

While the Portland Bike Share project is the work of the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation, this event is further evidence that the BTA (Oregon’s largest bicycle non-profit) wants to put their stamp on the concept. BTA staffer Gerik Kranksy told me yesterday the event will allow people to, “Imagine what Portland looks like with Bike Share bikes.”

Event details are below:

Demonstration for the Portland Bike Share project
Hosted by the BTA
10:00 am – 2:00 pm, Tuesday September 6th
The courtyard at 200 SW Market Street

Learn more about bike-sharing via these FAQs published on the City’s website. Check the BTA blog for more on the demo event.