HUNTINGBURG — Huntingburg is about to get a bit more two-wheel friendly when a bike-sharing service is introduced later this month.
In partnership with Zagster, a leading provider for bikes as a service, the city will install eight new bikes — six for adults and two for children — at Huntingburg City Park. An official ribbon-cutting is tentatively set for Sunday, May 24.
The bikes are expected to be installed near the pool and basketball court area visible from Cherry Street.
The program was presented to the Huntingburg Park Board last fall as a capstone project through the Dubois County Leadership Academy. Members of the team included Ferdinand Town Manager Chris James, Melanie Jones of Kimball International and Debbie Ramirez and Sara Thompson of Vincennes University Jasper Campus.
Huntingburg Parks Director Jim Rueger said the plan seemed like an obvious hit when members of the Leadership Academy presented their findings to the park board.
“We had seen some of those (bike-sharing programs) before, but then they came to the park board and spelled out what they wanted to do,” Rueger said. “They showed us the cost involved, so we put some money in the budget and signed the contract.”
Zagster is based in Cambridge, Mass., and was founded in 2007 as CityRide. The company has programs established across North America, primarily in partnership with hotels, businesses and universities.
“Our company was founded with a goal of making it as easy as possible for anyone who wants to ride a bike to do so,” said Zagster co-founder and CEO Timothy Ericson. “Our partnership with the city is a great step in that direction, as riding a bike in Huntingburg is as easy as sending a text.”
Riders can join by downloading the Zagster Mobile App, available for iPhone and Android, or online at zagster.com/huntingburg/.
To rent a bike with the mobile app, riders simply enter the unique ID number of the bicycle they wish to use and an access code for the lock box is provided. Similarly, riders can use the app to send the bike ID via text and receive the code in return. Riders can use the code throughout the duration of their rental to lock and unlock the bike anywhere along their trip; with an attached flexible lock, riders can park their bikes wherever they want. Once the bike is returned to the docking location, the touch of a button ends the rental and releases the bike for the next rider.
Rates are $3 per hour or $24 per day (up to 24 hours). Riders will be able to swipe a credit or debit card at the docking station.
Zagster features the Breezer Uptown, an award-winning bike known for its lightweight, durable construction and specifically designed for city riding. All bikes come with spacious baskets for groceries, take-out or other personal belongings.
Rueger said Zagster will assume all maintenance responsibilities on the bikes and provide rider assistance around the clock. If a rider breaks down miles from the bike rack, an number for assistance is located on the frame of the bike.
The contract, signed by the park board in November, called for a $3,000 implementation fee, which Zagster waived because the city signed the contract at an early date. There is also an $800 rental fee for which the park board has budgeted. Income from rider fees will help offset that cost, as 93 percent of rider fees goes back to the city.
“We looked at this a lot like the swimming pool. It’s a service that you provide for the community. It’s not a money-making proposition, it’s part of what a park and recreation (department) does,” Huntingburg Mayor Denny Spinner said. “We see this that as sort of the same way.”
Spinner and Rueger believe as the program gains popularity, more bikes will be stationed around the city, especially as the Heritage Trail outlined in the Stellar Communities application completes the loop of Huntingburg.
“I just see this continuing to grow,” Rueger said.