A fleet of electric-assist bikes will be available for rent on Penn State’s University Park campus and in State College starting next week, the university announced on Monday.
Penn State Transportation Services is partnering with the borough and Spin, the “micromobility unit” of Ford, on the e-bike share program available to university and community members. The program will launch on Monday, Aug. 16, with 75 e-bikes available at locations on campus and in the borough.
The fleet will increase in phases to 300 by October.
“We feel Spin’s e-bike program will be a natural and complementary fit to existing public transit, giving students, residents and visitors a safe and sustainable option to get around,” John Lankford, head of campus partnerships for Spin, said in a news release.
Through the Spin app, users will be able to see e-bike locations, service areas, no-ride zones and locations of preferred parking spots on campus and in the borough.
The bikes will have a maximum electric-assist speed of 15 miles per hour and will be available 24 hours a day. E-bike users must be 18 years of age, are encouraged to wear helmets and must obey local traffic laws and campus regulations.
Standard rates will be $1 to unlock an e-bike and 25 cents per minute to ride. Unlock fees will be waived through the end of September.
Initial e-bike locations will include:
- State College Borough Building
- Bryce Jordan Center
- Berkey Creamery
- East Halls
- Forum
- HUB-Robeson Center
- Huck Life Sciences
- Katz Building
- Kunkle Lounge
- Nittany Hall
- Nittany Lion Inn
- Rec Hall
- Redifer Commons
- Student Farm
- Sunset Park
- West Deck
- Westerly Parkway Wetland
- Willard Building
- Easterly Parkway Rain Garden
“Our partnership with Spin will expand our ability to provide Penn State students, employees and our community with a more accessible and sustainable transportation option both on and off campus,” Cecily Zhu, sustainable transportation program coordinator for Penn State Transportation Services, said.
Borough officials said the e-bike share program ties into State College’s strategic goal of being a planned and sustainable community, which includes making use of the region’s expansive bicycling network.
“We’re very excited to see the first bikes arrive in our community and to see residents getting around the community using our bike system,” Jasmine Fields, State College Borough’s sustainability program officer, said. “This program will help improve the way people traverse in State College and will help us reach our bicycle friendly community and climate action goals.”
Penn State previously offered a traditional bike-share service on campus and in the borough for three years, but it ended in June 2020 when the provider for the program, Zagster, shut down.
For updates and to download the Spin app, visit transportation.psu.edu/spin-e-bike-share-program.
