Bike sharing pedaled its way into three municipalities last year, with New Rochelle, Yonkers and White Plains adopting pilot programs that quickly became popular and are already a fixture on city streets.
In White Plains, Lime — which has a contract to operate the service with 300 bikes — is introducing a new feature for those who might want a little help pushing those pedals.
Next month the company, formally known as LimeBike, will replace some of its bicycles with pedal-assist models that use a lithium battery and torque sensor to give riders a little boost.
“We feel the (bike share) program has been very successful in White Plains,” Lime Operations Manager Paul Holley told the Common Council during a recent work session. For riders huffing an puffing up hills or on long trips, the pedal-assist model “does a lot better than the other bike does.”
The new bikes, known as “Lime-E” have been available in a number of other cities across the country since last year. They are slightly heavier and sturdier than the regular model, with the mailbox-sized battery mounted over the rear wheel.
The decision to place them in White Plains, officials said, was based in part by the bike share program’s success during its first year in the city. Since launching on June 4, Lime said:
- More than 9,000 different riders have tried the bikes, using the Lime app on smart phones to unlock them and pay for the trip.
- 62 percent of riders who try the bikes take another ride within 30 days.
- The average rider takes 3.9 trips per month, averaging nine minutes per ride.
- More than 43,000 rides have been taken.
Lime said the White Plains TransCenter is by far the most common destination, followed by White Plains Hospital and downtown Mamaroneck Avenue.
The pedal-assist bikes will cost more that the regular bikes, which rent for $1 per 30 minutes. Riders who want a boost will pay $1 to unlock the pedal assist models and 15 cents per minute to ride, for a total cost of $5.50 for half an hour.
Lime-Es rely on an internal torque sensor, which detects when the bike is being pedaled and relays that to activate the battery. The power shuts down when the bike reaches a maximum speed of 14.8 miles per hour.
Tom Soyk, the city’s deputy parking and traffic commissioner said the bike share program has a very good safety record in the city. He did not provide statistics, but said there has been only one report of a pedestrian hit by a Lime bike rider. That cyclist was reportedly riding on the sidewalk illegally.
The bikes do not have motors, and do not require a license to ride. The battery has a range of about 60 miles before it needs to be recharged. Using GPS technology Lime crews can identify the location of the bikes. If the battery is low, it’s swapped out and the dead battery is recharged at a warehouse.
The same crews maintain the Lime fleet, re-balancing and moving the bikes if needed. At the city’s request, they also take them off the streets if there is heavy snow or other bad weather.
Lime officials said they anticipate that the pedal-assisted bikes will quickly become more popular than the old model. They plan to place a few on the street on April 1 and more as the demand rises. The total fleet will remain at 300, although that could change in the future. The official Lime-E roll out is scheduled for May 1.
“Lime has been very responsive to our questions and concerns, and we’re looking forward to seeing how the (Lime Es) work out,” Mayor Tom Roach said.
The company also announced that it will celebrate Earth Day in White Plains with safety and Lime E demonstrations and giveaways on April 24 at the city’s Farmer’s Market.
