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Over 5,000 E-Bike Rides Taken Since Summit Bike Share Launched One Month Ago
Program Receiving National Recognition in Bicycling Magazine
Over 5,000 E-Bike Rides Taken Since Summit Bike Share Launched
One Month Ago
Program Receiving National Recognition in Bicycling Magazine
Park City, UT (August 22, 2017) — Since its launch on July 19, over 5,000 bike trips have been taken through Summit County and Park City’s Summit Bike Share program, operated by Bewegen. Over 19,000 miles have been logged by 941 riders who have taken 5,010 trips on the electric bikes. Emissions avoided by e-bike use in just this first month are equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from four cars driven for half a year.
“Using U.S. Department of Transportation data, the combined fuel economy of cars and light trucks is 21.6 miles per gallon. Assuming the bikes effectively displaced 880 gallons of fuel, that would equate to preventing 7.8 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions from entering the atmosphere,” said Lisa Yoder, Summit County sustainability manager.
Nine stations for the electric bikes are located throughout the Snyderville Basin and within the Park City limits. Initial results show the most active stations are Park Avenue, Newpark Plaza and the Old Town Transit Center. Six of the stations have credit card readers allowing riders paying with a credit card to pay for up to four bike rentals at a time. The convenient Summit Bike Share app gives riders the ability to purchase weekly or monthly passes, become a Go Passholder, check the status of any station in real-time, start the timer and get an alert before needing to return the e-bike, and keep track of previous rides and total miles traveled.
As this may be the first experience on an electric bicycle for locals and visitors, ensuring a safe ride is essential. Summit Bike Share offers the following guidelines:
Plan your Route
Choose the most bike-friendly route by checking the Summit Bike Share Map or App. Certain paths can be challenging, so we’ve recommended popular routes for a more comfortable ride.
Inspect your Bike
Safety first - check that your e-bike is in top shape before going for a ride:
- Check the charge on the dashboard. If the screen is blank, wake the bike up by pressing the horn.
- Adjust the seat height to the perfect fit.
- Check the tire pressure by squeezing the tires. Low or flat? Check out another bike.
- Ensure that both brakes work by giving them a squeeze.
- Riding at night? Make sure the front and back lights are flashing.
Please Wear a Helmet
While it’s not a requirement to wear a helmet, Summit Bike Share strongly encourages helmet use to reduce the probability of a head injury in the event of an accident.
Choose an appropriate type and size for your head. Take the time to adjust your helmet correctly: it should sit level on your head and not move forward or backward. You should be able to put no more than two fingers in the space between the chinstrap and your skin.
Respect the Road
Bikes need to follow the same rules as vehicles: stop at traffic lights and signs, avoid going down one-way streets, and walk your bike when on sidewalks. Ride on bike paths whenever possible. When riding on transportation trails, do not go faster than 14.5 miles per hour.
Be Careful and Respectful
- While riding in traffic, keep your distance from other vehicles.
- Try to stay three feet away from parked cars. The driver/passenger may open their door unexpectedly when exiting their vehicle.
- Make yourself visible and be confident to take the full lane when needed.
- Keep eyes out for pedestrians crossing the street.
- Pay attention to obstacles on the road: potholes, sewer grates, and railroad tracks can be dangerous when bicycling.
Be Predictable
- Don’t make sudden turns and stops, and be sure to signal your intentions with proper arm signals.
- Signal when you intend to stop, slow or turn.
- Check behind you before turning to be sure there are no oncoming vehicles.
- Make eye contact with other road and pathway users to ensure they see you and register your turning signals.
The Summit Bike Share program is attracting national attention, including a nod from Bicycling magazine. As the Bicycling article points out, “while some cities in the US, such as Baltimore, Maryland, and Birmingham, Alabama, have integrated pedal-assist bikes into their existing bike-share programs, Park City has become the first to create a fleet consisting entirely of e-bikes. Bewegen, the vendor for the bikes and docking stations, found that in Baltimore pedal-assist bikes are checked out three times more often than regular bikes, further cementing Park City's belief that their fleet should be all-electric.”
The Summit Bike Share program is supported by the “Let’s Go Summit” transportation tax initiative. Phase One of the program introduces 88 electric-assist (“pedelec”) bikes among nine stations throughout Synderville Basin and the Park City limits, with Phase Two planned to open summer 2018. The program’s pedelec bikes have a low center of gravity and high-capacity brakes, ensuring high stability, durability, and safety are appropriate for all ages and ability levels. The relaxed ergonomics and upright, semi-flatfoot riding position provide a safe, comfortable ride, and the DynaMe Propulsion motor ensures riders arrive at your destination quickly and without breaking a sweat, offering a viable alternative to driving a personal vehicle. Transportation officials from both Summit County and Park City hope the electric bike sharing option will encourage residents and visitors to make short transportation trips without use of a private vehicle.
For more information, or to sign up as a Summit Bike Share member, please visit www.summitbikeshare.com.
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Media Contacts:
Krachel Greenwood
Community and Public Affairs Coordinator
Summit County, UT
kgreenwood@summitcounty.org
801-699-4582
Linda Jager
Community Engagement Manager
Park City Municipal Corporation
linda.jager@parkcity.org
435-901-2311
Sustainability For Homes
Sometimes reducing your environmental impact can be a little overwhelming. There is a lot of new information and sometimes it changes very quickly from new research or developments. Start off small and take it a day at a time and soon you'll be able to incorporate a lot of these ideas into your daily life. Here are 10 ways to get started reducing your impact at home.
1. Sign up for the SCPW Challenge- Park City worked with Summit Community Power Works to bring this online resource to life. Here you will find 70 actions you can do at home to conserve, with all available rebates and incentives, and step-by-step instructions on how to complete each action. It's even more fun when you get your neighbors to participate and form a team to win prizes and recognition!
2. Conserve Energy - Start off by being conscious of the energy you use at home, noticing what lights are on, when the TV is on, etc. Then make a concerted effort to turn off lights and electronics when they are not needed. Conservation is not about doing without, but about using energy wisely.
Many Park City residents use snow melt products, such as heat tape, to prevent ice dams on their roofs. These snow melt systems are needed for certain roofs, but they also use a huge amount of electricity and often times we forget to turn them off when it gets warmer. In fact, some systems use as much electricity as the entire home. Make sure your snow melt system is turned off during warmer months - some systems have been found to be operating during spring/summer, costing lots of money and inflating the community's carbon footprint. If you find yourself forgetting to turn off your heat tape, you can purchase a timer that will do it for you.
4. Replace Inefficient Bulbs - Your energy audit will likely reveal that you have some inefficient bulbs in your home. Make sure to replace those with more efficient lighting options like LED bulbs which use a fraction of the energy and last much longer than older lighting technologies. You'll begin saving money immediately with this low cost and easy upgrade.
5. Unplug - Avoid phantom loads that come from gadgets and electronics that draw power even when they're off. Unplug chargers, printers, gadgets, coffee makers, toasters and other similar electronics to avoid wasting unnecessary energy. You can also plug these devices into a power strip and shut off the power strip when not being used.
6. Improve Indoor Air Quality - Sometimes your home's indoor air quality is worse than the air outdoors due to inadequate ventilation and the release of toxins indoors from furniture, chemicals, equipment and more. Learn more about the sources of indoor toxins and how to reduce them to make your home safer.
7. Upgrade Inefficient Appliances - Reduce both water and energy use by upgrading to more efficient appliances. Look for ENERGY STAR labeled appliances that are guaranteed to be more efficient. While the initial cost of the appliance may be slightly more than a regular one, the money you save on energy will more than cover the cost of the upgrade.
8. Clean Greener - Cleaning solutions in your home may actually be toxic and causing you harm. Start cleaning your home with more natural cleaning supplies that are safer for your family, pets and the environment. Look for all natural, biodegradable and non-petroleum based products.
9. Buy Green Power - One of the cheapest and easiest ways to reduce your carbon emissions is to support renewable energy from your electric utility. Our very own Rocky Mountain Power has a program for exactly that called Blue Sky. Sign up today!
10. Install a Programmable Thermostat - Making sure you don't heat or cool your home when you're not there (or when you're asleep and cozy under covers) is one of the easiest ways to save money and reduce your carbon footprint. Programmable thermosats allow you to control temperature settings for when you are at home, away, and asleep.