February 14, 2020

M&T Bank employee broke record for longest Reddy bike trip at 76 miles

BUFFALO, NY – Reddy Bikeshare and Independent Health officials announced final results for the 4th season of the bikeshare program in the city of Buffalo, including the first season in the city of Niagara Falls. Both organizations are once again extremely pleased with the community’s incredible support and enthusiasm, and look forward to Reddy Bikeshare’s expansion in Buffalo this year.

Reddy Bikeshare expanded into the city of Niagara Falls in September 2019, in partnership with Independent Health and with support from the city of Niagara Falls. An inaugural group ride was led by NYS Lieutenant Governor, Kathy Hochul, to commemorate the occasion (see photo on page 2).

“Although new and available for only a couple months in Niagara Falls last year, interest in the bikeshare program was strong and helped contribute to 2019 being Reddy’s best season yet! Overall more members signed up than ever before, and we saw a huge increase in the number of trips taken,” said Jennifer White, marketing and communications executive for Reddy Bikeshare.

Statistics for 2019 include:

• 6,604 sign-ups
• 59,649 miles traveled
• 36,511 trips

Members have burned a collective 7.2 million calories, the equivalent to over 167,000 chicken wings.

Independent Health President and CEO Michael W. Cropp, M.D., said “The health plan is very pleased with the tremendous success and growing interest in the Reddy Bikeshare program, it is exceeding all our original expectations.”

“It is equally rewarding to see businesses like M&T Bank incorporate Reddy Bikeshare into their corporate wellness program. Together, we’re creating a culture of health in Western New York by supporting recreation and exercise through bicycling,” added Dr. Cropp.

According to 2019 Reddy Bikeshare survey results, a majority of respondents said they used Reddy bikes to get more exercise, for recreation, and to spend quality time with family and friends. Others said they used Reddy bikes to get out of the office for lunch, as a way to live more environmentally friendly, as a way to get around without having to worry about parking, and to show visitors around from out of town.

Annual members to the program make up about 27% of the total membership base and include students from University at Buffalo and Canisius College, employees working on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, as well as M&T Bank employees, who receive free annual memberships as part of the company’s health and wellness benefits.

One M&T Bank employee broke a record this year for most miles traveled in one trip. Tom Darlington rode 76 miles in a day, riding around the entire city of Buffalo from the south to the north, through Grand Island to Niagara Falls and back, on July 4th, 2019.

“I had no intention of biking as far as I did at the time, my plan was to ride to the South Towns, but the path I took was under construction - that’s when I came up with the idea to see if it was possible to ride to Niagara Falls,” said Darlington, “Once I got to the Falls, my competitive nature really kicked in, and I wanted to see how far I could go on a Reddy bike in one day. My trip ended at 76 miles, a nod to Independence Day!”

To meet increasing demand, Reddy Bikeshare will add bikes to the current fleet of 200 in Buffalo this coming season. Additional stations will also be added to the current Buffalo network, including a location at the Richardson Olmsted Campus. More details of the Buffalo expansion will be announced in March.

“Combined with last year’s expansion into Niagara Falls, Reddy Bikeshare will serve the Buffalo/Niagara region in 2020 with 435 total bikes, and we’re continuously looking for partners in both cities to help us continue to promote a healthy and active form of transportation and recreation to our residents and visitors”, said Jennifer White.

For more information please visit www.reddybikeshare.com. Organizations interested in partnering with Reddy Bikeshare in 2020, or anyone with a request for station expansion in Buffalo can contact Jennifer White at jen@reddybikeshare.com or 716-407-7474.

About Shared Mobility

Shared Mobility Inc. (SMI) is a Buffalo-based nonprofit that advances innovative transportation services that focus on a shared model. Using cutting-edge technology and best practices, Shared Mobility Inc. builds mobility systems that serve neglected communities and smaller, more challenging markets. SMI was incubated by Buffalo CarShare - which was sold to Zipcar in 2015 - and this same core staff continues their commitment to the expansion of carsharing in Buffalo. From ridesourcing companies like Uber and Lyft to carsharing and bikesharing systems, SMI focuses on community-based strategies to improve mobility for everyone and grow these networks for lasting impact. For further information, visit www.sharedmobility.org.