Salt Lake City GREENbike announced Thursday that it just quadrupled its service area — and for the first time, the rental bikes are also available at a station outside Salt Lake City.
Its rental stations are now scattered over 8 square miles, instead of the previous 2.1.
“With today’s new locations, GREENbike’s 42 locations can now be found [between] 2100 South and North Temple, and from 700 West to 900 East,” said Ben Bolte, founder and director of GREENbike.
The first station outside Salt Lake City is just barely outside its boundaries, in South Salt Lake at the Utah Transit Authority’s Central Pointe Station at 255 W. 2100 South.
Sharen Hauri, urban design director for South Salt Lake, said that transit hub is an ideal spot for bike rentals.
“It is now the best-connected TRAX hub in the whole valley. We have streetcar. We have the Airport [TRAX] line, the Red Line, the Blue Line and now we have GREENbike,” she said.
UTA Board Chairman Carlton Christensen said the expansion was made with the help of a portion of a $20 million federal grant his agency received to help improve transportation between transit stops and final destinations.
“Making that last-mile connection is an important part of the success of transit as we go forward,” he said.
Rep. Ben McAdams, D-Utah, hailed GREENbike as an important step to help reduce air pollution, including by helping to make mass transit more attractive.
“It makes our transit system all the more accessible when you can get off the train or bus and grab a bike that gets you where you are going,” he said.
“Over the past 6½ years," Bolte said, "GREENbikes have prevented more than 4.7 million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering our air, avoided more than 5.2 million vehicle miles … and burned about 71 million calories in the process,” which he said is the equivalent of 250,000 slices of pizza.
“Now with these new locations, those numbers are only going to get bigger,” he said.
GREENbike passes cost $7 a day or $15 for four days. Annual memberships are also available. Salt Lake City’s annual HIVE pass for UTA includes free use of GREENbikes.
Salt Lake City GREENbike also recently started renting electric-assist bicycles at no extra cost.
