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Photo courtesy of the city of San Marcos

VeoRide dockless bikes coming to downtown

Bike Sharing
Thursday, August 16, 2018

The San Marcos City Council approved a contract with VeoRide for implementing a dockless bike share system as a part of a collaborative partnership between the city and Texas State University during last week’s city council meeting.

The city and university have been working on a group proposal for a dockless bike share since September of last year, and now the bikes are expected to be rolling out next month at locations downtown and on campus. 

The company chosen for the endeavor is VeoRide. VeoRide provides a dockless bike share system that consists of bicycles, smart-lock hardware, an intelligent application (app), an information management system and 24/7 operations – all of which comes at no cost to the city or university. Veoride will also be distributing 2.5 percent of ridership revenue to the city on an annual basis.

Essentially the way it works, is those that want to use a bike can download the app and pay to unlock a bike – there will be non-smartphone ways to access the bike as well – and when they wish to return the bike, just push the button on the bike lock and park near any bike rack.

The bike share will start out with an initial rollout of 360 bicycles, and approximately 100 of those will be electric-assisted – meaning once the rider starts pedaling, an electric motor will engage.

The dockless bike share system is one of several ways  that the city has ramped up their efforts to encourage bicycling as a mode of transportation, and according to City Economic Development Administrator Kevin Burke, VeoRide, by using the data the bikes collect, will help with planning future bike infrastructure. 

The city has also been working toward a bike-friendly designation by expanding and creating safe and convenient bike lanes and trails throughout the city. According to Burke, the city is revamping roadways to be more complete streets whenever it comes time to maintenance and repair. 

“We update striping on streets all the time because striping just wears out, but when it comes time for those contracts to come up and these streets to be redone, we are collaboratively looking at those projects and finding out how we can add capacity, whether that’s bicycles, or on-street parking,” Burke said.

Complete Streets are streets designed and operated to enable safe access for all users including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders. 

The resolution to contract with VeoRide for implementing a dockless bike share system passed 6-0, with council member Saul Gonzalez absent.

“I only have one question,” Mayor John Thomaides said, “can we post a notice of quorum for a council bike ride?”

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666