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B-Cycle Adds Bikes To Charlotte Streets

Ribbon cutting for B-cycle, a bike sharing program. Photo: Kalie McMonagle.
Ribbon cutting for B-cycle, a bike sharing program. Photo: Kalie McMonagle.

http://66.225.205.104/KM20120712.mp3

Ribbon cutting for B-cycle, a bike sharing program. Photo: Kalie McMonagle. B-cycle, a national bike sharing program, is launching its first Southeast project in Charlotte. Soon, twenty bike stations with 200 bikes will be spread throughout Uptown. The program is designed for short trips. For example you could pick up a bike at Trade and Tryon and ride it to the Government Center on 4th street. Memberships are available for $65 a year, otherwise the bikes are $8 a day. The bikes are funded in part by a $4 million donation from Blue Cross Blue Shield to the group Get Outside North Carolina. Some of those funds will also go towards improving bike trails in Raleigh, but Mayor Anthony Foxx says there's still a need in Charlotte. Foxx says, "We still have miles and miles of bike lanes that we need to get built over time." Charlotte has currently built 65 miles of bicycle lanes. In total Charlotte Department of Transportation outlines a desire for nearly 800 lanes by 2030. Pamela Murry has biked in Charlotte for six years now. She says to be safe you have to be visible and defensive. She describes what that means, "And see I got a big triangle on the back, I got a big light on the back, another flashy light, I got a big light on the front, I got reflective things on the tires. You know, I mean, they can see me." Murray says she's always trying to get more people to bike and she thinks the bike sharing will help. The two completed locations will offer free rentals this weekend on a trial basis.