Transportation
Portland's Ambitious New Bike-Share Will Be Sponsored by Nike
“Biketown” will reportedly be the largest “smart” sharing system in North America.
Portland cyclists will soon be able to use bike-share not just to get across town but to show brand loyalty. The city announced yesterday it is partnering with Nike to put out 1,000 communal cycles by this summer, reportedly creating the largest “smart” sharing system in North America.
The $10 million, five-year sponsorship agreement with the Oregon sportswear giant greatly expands Portland’s ambitions; before, it had planned for only 600 cycles. (Additional financing is coming from a $2 million federal grant.) The system, to be run by national bike-share company Motivate, will use technology from SoBi that eschews locking docks for locks and electronics fixed to the bikes themselves.