By Megan McCardwell
As you walk around Lexington, you may be asking yourself or friends, why are orange bikes all over town?
Spin, a stationless bikeshare company, has launched a pilot program in downtown Lexington and on the University of Kentucky campus. Spin has provided Lexington residents access to solar-powered, GPS-enabled, self-locking bikes. These bikes require no fixed racks, can be parked anywhere, and have been distributed all over town at no cost to the city.
To use Spin bikes, riders can download the Spin app on their smartphones and load payments to their account with a credit card. When you’re ready to ride, open the app to find a bike near you and scan the bike’s QR code to unlock. Once you’re finished using the bike, pull down on the lever on the bike to lock it. Watch this short video on how Spin works.
For those without a smartphone or credit card, pre-loaded cards will also be available for purchase at locations around the city and the UK Transportation Services.
The cost to ride is $1 for 30 minutes. UK students, faculty and staff who register using an .edu email address can ride for a 50 percent discount on the company fares.
The Spin bikes allow you to complete multiple trips during the allotted time frame. A trip begins when the bike is unlocked and ends when the bike is locked. The app will stop charging you as soon as the bike is locked.
Spin’s launch in Lexington has started with 500 dockless bikes distributed across the city and the UK campus. Parking on the UK campus is limited to designated zones identified in the Spin app. Outside of campus, the bikes can be parked anywhere within the public right of way, as long as they do not block sidewalks or building entrances.
During the pilot phase, Spin will track bike usage and preferred parking areas to identify where residents will benefit most from the service. If results prove positive from the pilot phase, Spin will inform Lexington on how to implement a full-scale program to be a valuable part of transportation infrastructure.
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