Transportation
Why Portland, of All Places, Came Late to Bike-Share
The famously bicycle-friendly city says its “smart-bike” program, Biketown, was worth the wait.
Last week, Portland, Oregon, launched its first ever bike-share program, and it’s substantially different from the competition. As we’ve previously reported, a Nike sponsorship expanded and accelerated the launch of Biketown, Portland’s new 1,000 bike-strong system.
But what really makes Biketown stand out is that it’s now the largest deployment of so-called “smart-bike” technology in the United States. Each bike has its own GPS tracking system and a U-Lock that serves as the checkout point for riders via a pre-paid card or mobile app. Riders can choose to leave bikes at designated Biketown racks, or pay an additional $2 fee to lock and leave it at any of Portland’s 4,000 bike racks within the service area.