El Paso’s bike share program: Is anyone using it?

Last fall, the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority allocated $720,000 through a combo of federal, state and local tax dollars. It was all to launch a bicycle sharing program “B-Cycle”.

CRRMA spent $320,000 acquiring 80 bikes at $1,300 a pop, and the hardware to support them. The rest was set aside for maintenance and operations. Add that all up and you’re looking at $9,000 a bike.

Is anyone using them? The CRRMA says the better the weather gets, the better the chances you’ll see people using its bike share program.

“We’re seeing actually more users than we are seeing the repeat users,” Telles said. “So there’s a lot of excitement, a lot of people trying it out for the first time.”

It was installed in September, getting its launch right before winter. But even so, the data shows people were riding, and more continue to do so. In the first quarter (Sept-Nov) there was 1,543 rides, or about 20 a day. In the second quarter there was jut over 850, down to about 10 rides a day. In March alone though, there was more than 500 rides, or 17 rides a day.

“These are the amenities that folks want to see Downtown,” Telles said. “So when they visit, they don’t have to get in their rental car to drive half a block to the restaurant.”

“I think that bike share is a program that has been long in the waiting,” said EP Cyclist member Ephraim Vivar. “We should have had bike share a long time ago.”

A lot of people think this program is like a bike rental station, but its not. Its more like a parking meter. You pay $6 for a 24 hour day ride. But you don’t get it for the whole day. Instead from the moment you pick out your bike, you have 30 minutes to return it to the next station. That allows for bike sharing. If you go over 30 minutes, its $2 extra, every missed half-hour..

Of course you can check it in and back out immediately from the solar powered stations.

“We want to make sure city hall connects to the ballpark so they can get somewhere in 30 minutes and it makes sense to them,” Telles said.

The more stations, the more people are riding and sharing, which is why the rollout of phase two is beginning.

“If you don’t have the stations located near where people want to go, your program is not really going to work,” Telles said

Right now there are eight stations. Five downtown, one at the EPCC Rio Grande campus, and two at UTEP.
Phase 2, expected to start this summer would add 80 bikes and 8 stations, supplementing the stations that are already between downtown and UTEP, including three on campus, another at the ballpark, the county courthouse and San Jacinto Plaza.

The price tag isust under $600,000, which will come from federal, state and local dollars.
The CRRMA doesn’t expect to break even off user fees alone.After the rollout of phase two, they plan to start looking for sponsors and advertisers who want their logo on the bikes.

“I think it’s a very positive sign when we see where the numbers are today,” Telles said.

To track your time, travel and calories, there’s a B-cycle app. In the coming months, look for promo codes and online offers.