1. 1.How do you work the lock?  Click here for PDF with instructions
   

2. 2.What is bike sharing?
   

3. 3.Who is San Antonio Bike Sharing?
   

4. 4.Why is the City of San Antonio launching a bike sharing program?
   

5. 5.Are tax dollars going to the program?
   

6. 6.What are the benefits of bike sharing?
   

7. 7.Who else has a bike sharing program?
   

8. 8.What is the relationship between the City of San Antonio, San Antonio Bike Sharing, San Antonio B-cycle, and B-cycle?
   

9. 9.Is a helmet required to use a San Antonio B-cycle?
   

10. 10.What precautions are being taken to prevent vandalism and theft?
    

11. 11.What are the operation schedule and maintenance procedures for the B-cycles?
    

For more information about San Antonio B-cycle, visit sanantonio.Bcycle.com.

How do you work the lock?

Find the lock shaft at the front of the bike (there is a black round key in the shaft)  On the underside of the shaft is a hole where the end of the lock cable goes after wrapping around a non-moveable object like a pole, sign, bench or bike rack.  When you insert the cable end into this hole, the key will now be able to be removed.  Make sure it is fully inserted, and you may have to “jiggle” it just a bit to get the key to release.  Unlock your bike using the key.  See Instruction page for more detail.

What is bike sharing?

Bike Sharing is active transportation. It's an affordable, clean and simple way to get around town that's good for your health, your pocket, and your environment.

Bike sharing programs can now be found in Europe from Oslo to Rome. Bike sharing has changed the face of Europe and has become an integrated part of its public transportation infrastructures. We believe we can bring similar change to San Antonio.

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Who is San Antonio Bike Share?

San Antonio Bike Share is a 501c3 created to build and operate a comprehensive city-wide bike sharing system. San Antonio Bike Share is offering residents and visitors an alternative form of public transportation which is both environmentally-friendly and affordable.

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Why is the City of San Antonio launching a bike sharing program?

San Antonio has made and continues to make strides to improve the infrastructure for alternative transportation. Bike sharing will support the City’s Strategic Transportation Plan and be integrated into the larger multi-modal transportation system, which makes San Antonio one of the most accessible downtown areas of any city in the U.S.

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Are tax dollars going to the program?

No local tax dollars are going to this program. San Antonio Bike Sharing was awarded in 2009 $210,000 from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. San Antonio Bike Sharing receives its funds through grants, sponsorships, memberships, and transaction fees.

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What are the benefits of bike sharing?

1. 1A short, four-mile round trip by bicycle keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air.
   

2. 2Cyclists are exposed to less pollution than taxi or bus passengers.
   

3. 3Five billion gallons of fuel are wasted every year from cars idling in traffic.
   

4. 4Those same traffic delays represent nine billion dollars in lost productivity.
   

5. 5Overall, traffic congestion costs the US economy $78 billion a year.
   

6. 6The average commuter spends 50 hours every year stuck in traffic.
   

7. 7By 2032 traffic delays will more than double and CO2 emissions traced to congestion will reach 60 million tons.
   

8. 8The average person loses 13 lbs. their first year of commuting by bike.
   

9. 9At least 30 minutes of exercise is recommended at least 5 days a week.
   

10. 10A fifteen minute bicycle ride to and from work five times a week can burn the equivalent of 11 pounds of fat in a year.
    

11. 11The average American household spends more on transportation than on clothing, health care, and entertainment combined.
    

12. 12On average, 18% of household expenditures are for transportation.
    

13. 13Bicycling brings more than $1 billion to Texas's state economy. The more often an employee cycles and the longer the distance traveled, the lower the rate of absenteeism.
    

Who else has a bike sharing program?

Many European cities have bike sharing systems that have become part of everyday life for their residents.

1. 1Paris' system is called Velib
   

2. 2Lyon’s system is called Velo’v
   

3. 3Barcelona’s system is called Bicing
   

4. 4France’s system is called Velo Toulouse
   

5. 5Montreal’s system is called Bixi
   

6. 6Rome’s system is called Roma’n’bike
   

Paris has over 26,000 bikes which its residents use for work, school, shopping, and more. Outside of Europe, Montreal launched a bike sharing program in May 2009 with 3,000 bikes. Montreal’s bike sharing system has gotten such a positive response, they are installing 2,000 more bikes by the end of the summer.

There are U.S. cities such as New York, Minneapolis, and Boston that are preparing for a bike sharing system in the future, but San Antonio will be one of the first to launch a large-scale system in the United States. There is a portal for bike sharing information from around the world located at http://bike-sharing.blogspot.com/.

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What is the relationship between the City of San Antonio, San Antonio Bike Sharing, San Antonio B-cycle, and B-cycle?

San Antonio Bike Sharing has been formed at the behest of the Mayor of San Antonio, to manage, own and operate the bike sharing system. Its activities will support the goals of the City's Strategic Transportation Plan and Climate Action Plan.

San Antonio Bike Sharing is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of business and civic leaders, including two Mayoral appointees to insure a close relationship with the City of San Antonio.

San Antonio B-cycle is a joint program of San Antonio Bike Sharing and B-cycle LLC. San Antonio B-cycle is the name of San Antonio's bike sharing system. For example, users will ride San Antonio B-cycles and dock them at San Antonio B-cycle stations.

B-cycle LLC is the designer of the bike sharing system being operated by San Antonio Bike Sharing. San Antonio Bike Sharing has enlisted the help of B-cycle to supply the technology and hardware required to implement a bike sharing system in the San Antonio area, www.bcycle.com.

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Is a helmet required to use a San Antonio B-cycle?

While helmets are not required by law in the state of Texas, San Antonio B-cycle strongly recommends helmets and will remind riders regularly of the benefits.

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What precautions are being taken to prevent vandalism and theft?

Bikes will be equipped with technology such as GPS and RFID tags (radio-frequency identification) for tracking and security purposes. If a user does not return their B-cycle within one day, a San Antonio B-cycle employee will call and notify the user that they must return their bike within the next 24 hours, while they are being charged by the half hour until the bike is returned. If the bike is not returned within 48 hours, the user's credit card will be charged $1,000.

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What are the operation schedule and maintenance procedures for the B-cycles?

San Antonio Bike Sharing, a charitable nonprofit 501(c)3 has been established to operate San Antonio B-cycle. The San Antonio B-cycle system will operate from March 1st, through November 30th, weather permitting. The system will operate seven days a week, but will shut down between the hours of 11pm and 5am. During those hours, members will be unable to check bikes out of a station, but will be able to return bikes to stations.

Regular scheduled maintenance will be performed on all bikes in the San Antonio B-cycle system, and staff will be deployed during the day to redistribute bicycle inventory to ensure consistent system-wide access.

B-stations were designed to be outdoors. Whether in rain, wind or hail, the station is designed to operate. Visit SanAntonio.Bcycle.com for additional information on San Antonio B-cycle.