Art meets function: E-bikes designed by local artists hit the streets of Charlotte
If you’re walking down Trade Street in uptown Charlotte and a piece of art passes you by, you aren’t seeing things. It is probably just one of 250 new electric bikes from Charlotte B-cycle. The company teamed up with local artists to create artfully designed transportation in a project sponsored by Atrium Health and Blue Cross of North Carolina.
With 26 stations located throughout uptown and the surrounding neighborhoods, Charlotte B-cycle provides an environmentally-friendly option for getting around town. Whether it’s a quick errand, a meeting across town, or just the need for some fresh air and exercise, the electric bikes provide an easy and convenient way to explore the Queen City.
“Art and innovation go hand in hand,” participating artist Nick Napoletano told CharlotteFive. “It’s great to see Charlotte embrace sustainable transportation solutions that are not only fun, but functional to the city. This is where we are headed: Where art and design, utilitarian function and beauty, work together to make a more beautiful world that we can pass onto our children and our children’s children.
“It’s a great way to explore the city that is rapidly becoming more colorful and bringing us into a new era,” the muralist added.
Another artist participating in the project is Sydney Duarte, who is also a muralist.
Each Charlotte B-cycle bike features three speeds of operation, is adjustable to fit all shapes and sizes and comes with a basket to store items. Charlotte B-cycle offers daily, monthly and yearly memberships, which start at $8. These memberships can be purchased online or at a B-station.
Editor’s note: We reached out to B-cycle for a complete list of participating artists. We will update this story when we get that list.
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 4:58 PM.
