Have you ever been stuck walking up one of those endless Ithaca hills, regretting every arduous minute? Have you ever wanted to go somewhere but did not have access to a vehicle or bicycle? Well, worry no more! The Center for Community Transportation has launched the Ithaca Bike Share. Similar to CitiBike and Lime Bike, the Ithaca Bike Share provides easy bike access.
Pricing:
The Ithaca Bike Share has affordable rates. Annual memberships are 150 dollars, granting users sixty minutes of biking a day and fifteen cents per minute after that. If you want to venture on a long bike ride, day passes are available for twenty dollars, including four hours of ride time. A single ride costs one dollar to unlock the bike and fifteen cents per minute. Users also receive a one-dollar credit/free unlocking when they return the bike to a “Bike Hub,” a small square shown on the map. I have had my membership for only five days and have taken over fifteen rides!
Bike Availability:
The current boundaries of the Ithaca Bike Share start at Taughannock Boulevard and Garrett Road in Northwest Ithaca, to Danby Road and Larissa Lane in South Hill, to Ellis Hollow Road and Dodge Road in East Ithaca to Triphammer Road and Brook Drive in Lansing. You can bike to Cornell Botanic Gardens, Buttermilk Falls, Ithaca Mall, the airport, Wegmans, Thrifty Shopper, East Hill Plaza, downtown, and more! Although many of these places are hilly, the electric pedal assist makes biking up these hills feel like nothing. Users may still ride outside of the boundary. For example, if a user wants to bike past the Ellis Hollow and Dodge Road line, they may do so as long as they return the bike to the boundary when they are finished. For a complete map of Ithaca Bike Share boundaries, visit Ithacabikeshare.org or download the app.
User Benefits:
There are many benefits to using Ithaca Bike Share. Quality electric bicycles can cost upwards of one thousand dollars. Repairing electric bicycles can also be costly. If any repairs need to be done for a bike with Ithaca Bike Share, the company will immediately repair it without involving the user. When I was going to unlock a bike, I noticed that the chain was broken. I notified the app about the issue, and someone came to repair it at no cost to me. Ithaca Bike Share is also responsible for charging bicycles. Not having to worry about charging the bicycle as a user brings peace of mind.
Environmental Impact:
Transportation accounts for thirty percent of global carbon emissions, with seventy percent accounted for by vehicles. Every time someone uses a sustainable transportation method—such as walking, biking, scootering, etc.—over a car, a substantial amount of CO₂ is saved from the atmosphere. By choosing biking over driving, we can move one step further in preserving our climate.