ToleGO Bike Share, the first public bike share program in Toledo, launches Oct. 16

Monday, October 01, 2018

ToleGO Bike Share, the first public bike share program in Toledo, will launch on Oct. 16, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, Metroparks Toledo, and Gotcha announced today.

The new bike share program was made possible by generous support from Mercy Health, Owens Corning, ProMedica, and Toledo Refining Company, and a grant from the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments.

“This is an exciting new program for our city that places us along side some of the more progressive communities in the nation,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “This bike share system will be an affordable and convenient public transportation option for Toledoans and visitors to our city. I cannot give enough thanks to the sponsors - Mercy Health, Owens Corning, ProMedica, and Toledo Refining Company – for having the vision to help launch this program.”

Toledo residents and visitors will have access to 100 bikes at 17 hubs within the city, available for use 24 hours a day. Riders can access bikes to pay as you go at $3 for 30 minutes, through a monthly membership for $15, or an annual membership for $69. The system is designed to enhance connectivity and serve as a first-mile/last-mile transportation solution.

The launch event will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 16 at Middlegrounds Metropark. The launch will include a ribbon cutting, speeches from the mayor and other key partners, and a group ride with volunteers.

“We’re excited to partner with Gotcha to provide a bike share system as an affordable and convenient public transportation option,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “The benefits of bike share have been proven in other communities, and this system will make riding accessible to more people.”

Gotcha, which is based in Charleston, SC, was chosen by Metroparks Toledo and the city of Toledo to design and manage a customized bike share system with funding from its sponsors and the TMACOG grant.

“The community of Toledo shares Gotcha’s core values of bringing communities together through sustainable, alternative forms of shared mobility that are designed to suit the communities they serve,” Sean Flood, Gotcha chief executive officer, said. “As a result, we’ve already seen enthusiasm for bike share, which is really exciting. I’m certain ToleGO bike share will be a welcome addition to the streets of Toledo.”

Anyone interested in learning more about ToleGO, can visit www.toledobikeshare.com or follow @tolegobikeshare.