PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — More electric-boosted “smart” bicycles are being installed across the city of Providence, the mayor’s office and Uber’s JUMP bicycle-renting service announced Monday afternoon.
Previously, some 400 red bicycles with computer brains and motors to help pedal had been distributed to well-traveled areas like downtown, College Hill, Federal Hill and Smith Hill.
The expansion will bring the number of available bikes up to 1,100, and will place new docks and bikes in neighborhoods like Blackstone, Olneyville, Silver Lake, and Wanskuck. The expansion also includes destinations like Roger Williams Park, Lippitt Park, and Rhode Island College, JUMP personnel said.
While bikes can be left at docks or “hubs,” they can also be locked to city infrastructure and can be found and rented through a smartphone app.
Mayor Jorge Elorza said in a statement that the bike sharing program has been popular, and expanding it, “will allow more people than ever before to explore and commute in Providence in an eco-friendly and fun way.”
JUMP credits support from the city, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) and sponsors Lifespan and Tufts Health Plan for the bike program’s success so far.
A bike can be rented for $2 for the first 30 minutes, then about 7 cents per minute after that. People with low incomes can qualify for a plan costing just $5 for the first year, then $5 per month.
