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Salt Lake City Bike-Sharing Program Gets An Early Start

parked bikes
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There are more than 150 bikes available at 20 kiosks in downtown Salt Lake City.

In the center of Salt Lake City, across from Washington Square, sits the home of GREENbike. Founded by Ben Bolte in 2013, the nonprofit bike-sharing program is opening for its third season on March 31.

“There are a couple components that we are really trying to push,” Bolte said. “We have the community health, we have air quality and increasing public transportation ridership.”

GREENbike operates somewhat like a transit system. There are more than 150 bikes available at 20 kiosks in downtown Salt Lake City. Customers can rent the bikes for anywhere from a day to a year, and typically pay $5 for a day’s access.

“We are entirely funded, from the operational side, by ridership—so people paying a nominal fee to use the program—and through sponsorships,” Bolte said.

Officials from the organization say about 14,500 riders took advantage of the program last year before it closed for the winter. That’s more than double the 6,100 riders reported in 2013.

As Salt Lake City residents begin to embrace the spring weather, Bolte expects the number of bikes rented this year to grow even more.