FORT LAUDERDALE —Broward County will start its Broward B-Cycle program on Wednesday, Dec. 14 to provide residents and visitors an opportunity to help make the area bike-friendly and reduce carbon emissions, offering them an alternative form of public transportation.
The program will feature bicycles equipped with computers to track mileage, calories burned and carbon offsets. Riders will be able to monitor their personal fitness, see their contributions to the county's green efforts and connect with others online at broward.bcycle.com. To check out bikes, residents and tourists must register on that Web site or at bike sharing stations in various locations around the county.
B-cycle is a partnership among Trek Bicycle, Crispin Porter+Bogusky and Hu-mana, which is Broward B-cycle’s presenting sponsor.
Plans for the program reached a high point on Oct. 26, when the Broward County Commission approved an agreement for B-Cycle to manage and operate the local bike sharing program.
The commission formerly approved the program on Nov. 8, when the launch date was also decided. Commissioners also designated Dec. 14 “Broward B-Cycle Bikesharing Launch Day.”
Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach will be the first Broward B-Cycle cities.
Bikesharing is already in place in several cities around the world. In the U.S., Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago, San Antonio and Washington, D.C., are already in the program, with Boston and New York City expected to join also.
“I’ve seen firsthand how bike sharing can change not just how we get around but (also) our whole concept of personal transportation,” said Broward County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs, who led the effort to bring B-Cycle to Broward. “Green-minded consumers and health-conscious commuters will love it, and bike-sharing adds to our mission of moving people, not cars.”
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