With Over 240,000 Trips, Houston BCycle Shatters City Records in 2019
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
HOUSTON, TX–Houston’s bike share system, Houston BCycle, has finished the year with more bikes, stations, riders and trips than ever before. After six years of steady growth since the program’s 2012 launch, the city’s bike share ridership exploded in 2019 with over 240,000 annual trips––a 45% increase from the year prior.
“The biggest spikes in our ridership have been in what we call ‘sub-networks’––dense clusters of stations like what we have at University of Houston and in the Texas Medical Center,” said Beth Martin, Executive Director of Houston Bike Share. “We’ve made it a priority to develop partnerships with the colleges, universities, and management districts that cover these areas, as well as with larger organizations like the Houston Parks Board and METRO. These relationships have enabled us to speak directly to our target audiences and encourage new riders to give bike share a try.”
Transit-Oriented Ridership
In Houston, bike share has traditionally been a recreational option for casual riders, but ridership patterns are starting to change. In 2019, trips from Houston BCycle members (who pay a monthly or annual fee for unlimited hour-long trips) increased by 82%.
“The rise in trips from our members correlates with our average ride time dropping by 11%,” said Henry Morris, who oversees Development and Communications efforts for the nonprofit. “Members are more likely to use the bikes for commuting, running errands, and completing other short trips.”
For the first time in its history, Houston BCycle is reporting a majority of one-way transit rides (as opposed to round-trip recreational journeys). Even so, the number of casual BCycle riders has continued to increase, with single trip rides jumping by 24% from the 2018 figure.
Accomplishing City of Houston Goals
“From Complete Communities and Complete Streets to the Climate Action Plan and Resilient Houston, Houston BCycle has done a remarkable job of advancing some of our city’s broader goals,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Their organization’s exceptional growth in 2019 is a much-needed cycling success story that speaks to our shared vision of a more sustainable, healthy, and connected Houston.”
The Houston Complete Streets and Transportation Plan calls for city streets to provide safe, accessible and convenient use by pedestrians, motorists, public transit riders, people of all abilities, and bicyclists.
Three of the City’s Complete Communities–Second Ward, Third Ward, and Near Northside–have plans that include installing additional Houston BCycle stations. The goal of Complete Communities is to improve neighborhoods so that all of Houston’s residents and business owners can have access to quality services and amenities.
Additionally, one objective in the City’s draft Climate Action Plan is to reduce the vehicle miles traveled per capita. Expanding bike share and prioritizing multimodal transportation options are both listed in the document as possible actions toward that goal.
One year after Hurricane Harvey, Houston became the 101st member city of the Resilient Cities Network. Last year’s draft document–which detailed the steps needed to increase Houston’s resilience–names expanding bike share as a key step toward increasing the available transportation choices.
Fueling a Rapid Expansion
Each station that Houston BCycle installs requires a unique funding plan. Unlike in other major U.S. cities, the program does not receive dedicated funding from the City, METRO or multi-million dollar corporate sponsors. In order to fuel the system’s rapid expansion, Martin and Director of Operations Doogie Roux have focused on raising station-specific funds from local stakeholders, including county commissioners, special districts and real estate developers.
The program has also driven record revenue from riders. Nearly 95% of BCycle’s operational costs (which do not include expansion efforts) in 2019 were covered by revenue from single trips, membership purchases and overage fees. Additionally, the program was supported by fundraisers, small grant victories and an Official Healthcare Sponsorship with Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.
“We’re running an extremely sustainable business and finding success on a limited budget,” said Martin. “One of our biggest goals for 2020 is to source the type of substantial investment from local corporations, foundations, and government entities that will allow us more freedom in how we grow and connect new communities.”
Goals for 2020 and Beyond
Another goal for Houston BCycle is adding a full fleet of 100 electric-assist bikes in 2020. The program has run a small pilot project with four e-bikes since July of 2019, with early numbers showing users riding the juiced-up bikes at a rate twice that of the standard model.
The nonprofit will also look to expand its GO Pass Pilot Project––an affordable membership option launched in partnership with Change Happens! in the Third Ward neighborhood. Eligible GO Pass riders, who pay $3 per month for unlimited 90-minute trips, have ridden nearly 1,600 miles since the program’s launch in late August.
“We’re extremely proud of the work that Houston BCycle has done to make cycling more affordable, accessible, and convenient for those living, working and visiting our city,” said Margaret Wallace-Brown, Director of the Planning & Development Department. “We look forward to continuing our partnership by bringing bike share to new neighborhoods in 2020.”
The City’s Planning & Development Department assists Houston BCycle with the execution of their $3.7 million federal Transportation Improvement Project grant. In 2020, the final 21 grant-funded stations will be installed in the following areas: Near Northside, Montrose, The Heights, Washington Corridor, Downtown, East Downtown, Greater East End, and Inner Loop West, Southwest, Southeast, and Northeast. Borders for these grant-defined areas can be found on the City’s bike share webpage.
Going forward, Houston BCycle will continue to work with local funding partners (the federal grant covers 80% of equipment costs) to prioritize locations near METRO facilities, bike infrastructure improvements, and key community gathering places.
About Houston BCycle
Houston BCycle currently provides bike share services from 109 stations and 700 bikes across Central Houston neighborhoods. The system is operated by Houston Bike Share, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to provide equitable access to bike share that fosters recreation mobility and personal wellness. Learn more at houstonbcycle.com.