Denver B-cycle 2012 Season Launches Today
The 2012 Denver B-cycle Season is up and riding!
The season kicked off today with an event at The Pepsi Center featuring representatives from Denver B-cycle and the 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Basketball Championship, which will be staged in Denver later this month. There Denver B-cycle announced it will offer a half price special of $4 for a 24-hour membership from March 31 to April 3, encouraging visitors and locals to stay active by biking to the many NCAA Women's Final Four events happening around the city.
The first riders out on the course were those conquering the "Tour de B-cycle," a challenge that requires riders to visit all 52 stations in one day. Last year, 143 riders had their name listed on the B-cycle web site and received a special T-Shirt in recognition of the feat.
"Denver B-cycle ridership doubled from our first season to our second and with projected hikes in gasoline prices this year we expect increased interest in our third season," said Denver B-Cycle Executive Director Parry Burnap."The B-cycle is clearly something that many people depend on for a variety of needs and it's becoming a familiar feature on the Denver landscape. Just like spring training and the first bloom of an early tulip, we hope the return of the B-cycles to their bike-sharing locations becomes a familiar rite of spring."
"We are thrilled to support Denver-B-cycle because cycling encourages an active, healthy lifestyle. But it's also terrific to see the system blossom and to see the B-cycle become a viable transportation option," said Donna Lynne DrPH, president, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Denver B-cycle presenting sponsor.
Passes range from $8 for unlimited 24 hours of use to $80 for annual memberships.The first 30 minutes of each checkout are free. Checkouts longer than 30 minutes cost $1 for the next 30 minutes and $4 per half hour after that. Note: Annual memberships are discounted at a rate of $59 through April 22, 2012. Details and a kiosk locator map are available at http://denver.bcycle.com/
Denver B-cycle is one of the largest bike-sharing programs in the country. In 2011, some 200,000 trips moved riders a combined 431,000 miles. That's the equivalent of 120 round-trips to New York City. The trips save riders money in automobile costs and provide a non-polluting and healthy mode of transportation.
Photos
Caption: A full B-station this morning at the Pepsi Center. Photo Credit: Evan Semón
Caption: Denver B-cycle users ride B-cycles into downtown during First Ride 2012. Photo Credit: George Ferris Photography
ABOUT DENVER BIKE SHARING
Denver B-cycle, presented by Kaiser Permanente in association with a variety of community sponsors, is owned and operated by Denver Bike Sharing, a Colorado charitable, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Denver Bike Sharing exists to promote health, quality of life and preservation of the environment in Denver.Through operating a citywide bike sharing system, Denver Bike Sharing offers residents and visitors an alternative form of public transportation, which is both environmentally friendly and affordable. It complements and integrates into the city's overall transportation system and helps to implement the Greenprint Denver's Climate Action Plan. http://denver.bcycle.com/
ABOUT KAISER PERMANENTE COLORADO
Kaiser Permanente Colorado is the state's largest non-profit health plan, proudly working to improve the lives and health of Colorado residents for more than 40 years. Kaiser Permanente Colorado provides comprehensive health care services to more than 533,000 members through 24 medical offices and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. The health plan was named "Highest in Member Satisfaction" among Commercial Health Plans by J.D. Power and Associates for the fourth straight year. Kaiser Permanente was also recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as the top-ranked private health plan in Colorado, No. 6 in the nation and one of the top 3 Medicare plans in the U.S. for the third year in a row. In 2011, Kaiser Permanente proudly directed more than $90 million to community benefit programs to improve the health of all Coloradans. For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit kp.org/newscenter or follow us on twitter @kpcolorado or facebook.com/kpcolorado.