Reddy Bikeshare launches ninth season

BUFFALO, N.Y. (March 29, 2024) – Reddy Bikeshare, in partnership with Independent Health, kicks off its ninth season of providing affordable access to bikes and e-bikes just in time for the week of the solar eclipse–an event projected to draw tens of thousands of visitors to Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

After spending most of March reinstalling a network of more than 110 stations and deploying 465 bikes, the Reddy Team turned on the bikeshare network this week. It is not only the system’s largest season launch to date, but it is also its first to include Reddy+, the name of the new pedal-assist e-bikes, as well as East Side Forward Pass, a discounted bikeshare pass targeting residents who live on Buffalo’s east side.

This rollout comes perfectly in time for the multiple events planned on April 8th when the moon is expected to totally eclipse the sun for 3 and ½ minutes.

“It is times like these when bikeshare shines brightest as the life-hack of getting around town,” said Simon Husted, Communications and Marketing Coordinator for Reddy. “Not everyone owns a bike, and even when they do, it doesn’t mean it follows them around. Our Team is making sure as many bikes are available around all of the multiple watch parties to serve visitors and local residents.”

The Reddy Team projects one major hot spot in need of mobility options will be the Outer Harbor and its Total Eclipse in the 716 viewing party, at Terminal B, 901 Fuhrmann Blvd. Independent Health is presenting free fitness classes before and after the viewing party, and Reddy Bikeshare will be establishing a free parking area along Fuhrmann Blvd and at Terminal B. That allows users to lock their Reddy Bike to a convenient public rack or signpost without paying the $2 out-of-station fee.

The solar eclipse week is expected to make for a big kick-off bump in bikeshare trips. Last year, Reddy Bikeshare users logged 51,872 trips, an all-time record in the system. It was a 9% increase from 2022, which held the record prior. Credit for the record number of trips is given to ongoing investments in bike-friendly, safer streets, the revitalization taking place in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, and the Reddy Team’s ongoing efforts to expand the footprint of bikeshare and discount the cost on users. The Reddy Team expects 2024 to break the trip record with the inclusion of Reddy+ Bikes in the fleet.

“Independent Health is proud of our partnership with Reddy Bikeshare and the positive impact this popular program has had on the health and wellness of Western New Yorkers over the past eight years,” said Kathy Glieco, Vice President, Marketing Communications at Independent Health. “By adding Reddy+ Bikes to the already robust fleet of standard pedal bicycles, we are making it easier for more people to enjoy the health benefits of cycling, whether they are commuting to work, riding to school, visiting their favorite park or taking a leisurely roll. Not only do the new e-bikes provide a fun way to get healthy and explore our region, but they help further our commitment to creating a culture of health in Buffalo and Niagara Falls.”

Independent Health and Reddy Bikeshare introduced the first wave of Reddy+ Bikes in October at a user appreciation event. This year, The Reddy Team will be gradually scaling the number of Reddy+ Bikes throughout the season. By 2026, the Reddy Team, in partnership with Independent Health, will scale up the service to a mixed fleet of 600 bikes in Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

A state-funded initiative called Clean Mobility Buffalo is also playing a role in accelerating the growth of bikeshare and e-bike access. Over the next two years, the project will double the footprint of bikeshare stations and bikes on Buffalo’s east side. In conjunction with the project, Reddy Bikeshare, in partnership with Independent Health, launched a discounted annual pass program to serve East Side residents. The East Side Forward Pass provides an almost 95% discount on the traditional Annual Pass to invite residents to use bikeshare as a healthy means of getting around.

“As the lead of this bikeshare expansion project, I knew more needed to be done than bringing stations and e-bikes to neighborhoods like mine,” said Marli Parish, Reddy’s E-Bike Coordinator, who lives in the Bailey-Kensington neighborhood. “Our East Side Forward Pass will help fuel more healthy living habits with these assets. And the Clean Mobility Buffalo initiative, funded by the New York State Energy, Research & Development Authority, includes multiple other projects that will complement our bikeshare expansion.”

The program is inspired by the Niagara Falls Resident Pass–a program started in 2019 when Reddy Bikeshare expanded its service into Niagara Falls with a network of 30 stations accommodating a fleet of 145 bikes. With support from the City of Niagara Falls, all adults living in the city are eligible for a $1 discounted annual pass.

“Reddy Bikeshare’s Niagara Falls Resident Pass Program has had a positive impact for our residents who require affordable reliable transportation,” said Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino.  “With the Solar Eclipse events coming up, Reddy Bikeshare will be important now more than ever. We are expecting so many people and so much traffic that biking between locations will most likely be the best option for event-goers and residents.”

Reddy+ Bikes, along with traditional Reddy Bikes, are available to anyone with an existing membership or those who walk by one and scan the QR code on the rear of the device. To find their real-time location and availability, staff advises guests to download our “SoBi” smart phone app or visit www.reddybikeshare.com.  Guests who register for a Pay-As-You-Go or Group Plan pay 10 cents per minute on a standard Reddy Bike and 25 cents per minute on a Reddy+ Bike. Guests with an Annual Pass pay 1 cent per minute on a standard Reddy Bike and 10 cents per minute on a Reddy+ Bike. Annual Pass membership costs $40 per year with many programs available to discount that sign-up fee.

Reddy Bikeshare launched on July 21, 2016, and has steadily grown in usage and membership ever since. Over those seven years, users have pedaled 569,000 miles across the region. The bikeshare season runs through the end of October, when it goes on a winter recess.