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Charlotte’s new bike-sharing program will officially be up and running next week.
The effort, known as Charlotte B-cycle, will allow residents, uptown workers and others to rent bikes from one of 20 stations scattered in and around uptown. Adults must buy a daily or year-round membership to check out a bike, and the first 30 minutes of every ride are free.
The bike share is expected to go live at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Charlotte Center City Partners announced recently. To help kick off the program, organizers have planned a “Go Live Bike Ride Out” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Square at Trade and Tryon streets.”
In all, 200 bicycles will be available at stations near bus, shuttle and light-rail stops. The bulk of the bike stations are located in uptown and South End, though some also have been built at Carolinas Medical Center-Main, Presbyterian Hospital and Johnson C. Smith University.
Bikes can be checked out from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, though can be returned to any of the 20 stations at any time. While the first 30 minutes of each trip is free, it’ll cost $4 per half-hour to rent them longer. Bikes can be checked out multiple times a day.
Officials have said they expect many to use the bikes to help get to work, run errands or make other quick trips.
Charlotte Center City Partners runs the program, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is primary sponsor. Other sponsors include Carolinas HealthCare System and Verizon.
