EUGENE, Ore. -- Eugene's new bike share program is more popular than expected, with riders already clocking 22,000 miles on the bikes since the program launched in April.
Lindsay Hayward, the general manager for PeaceHealth Rides, said the bike share system has attracted close to 4,000 active members who have taken more than 20,000 trips. There are 300 bikes at 35 stations in Eugene and one in Springfield.
Hayward said many of the users are taking the bikes on short trips around town.
“I think Eugene in many ways built for a bike share system,” Hayward said. “We have great bike infrastructure, a bike community, bike paths, the weather has been amazing and they're been a ton of great events.”
It hasn't been all smooth sailing for the program. One bike station was vandalized in the Whiteaker neighborhood soon after the program started, and officials said someone tried and failed to steal a bike from another station.
One rider said she's heard of programs like this failing in other cities and hopes the program here doesn't end up the same way.
“I like the construction of the bikes,” Jill Conbere said. “My husband had his bike seat stolen, so between the two of us we don't have a bike, so these are really nice and I like how they seem really solid and hard to dismantle.”
Hayward said all the bikes are registered with the Eugene Police Department and crews can track the bikes using GPS. Peacehealth Rides to expand the program in the future.
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