5 Impactful Years of BikeLNK Bike Share

This past April, BikeLNK officially celebrated 5 YEARS of bike sharing operations in Lincoln. The joint partnership between the City of Lincoln (who own the equipment) and ROAM Share (who manage daily operations), BikeLNK has been helping Lincoln reach its sustainability and long-term health goals ever since bikes hit the ground in 2018. In total, BikeLNK has supported 185,000+ bike trips in the City of Lincoln – the product of those trips being some 430,000 miles traveled and 410,000 lbs. of carbon offset. But the total impact of bike share in Lincoln may be even greater than the sum of its parts.

Bike share arrived in the US as early as 2010, and just short time later in the Midwest as a small program began in Omaha in 2011 (a program that would eventually grow into Heartland Bike Share, a sister program of BikeLNK operated by ROAM). Allowing for short-term rentals and participation in membership programs, users can access community-available bikes that are reliable and fun to ride. Quickly, communities began to see how increased bike travel - and reduced car trips – made the places we call home quieter, cleaner, and more enjoyable.

The impact of bikes is can be felt in daily life and in neighborhoods. Most remember when they first learned to ride, who taught them, and where they were. For many, bikes are the first opportunity to experience the world on their own terms. Bike share returns that same sense of wonder and exploration. (In addition to just being a great way to get from Point A to Point B.) Bikes reduce traffic noise, car congestion, and air pollution.

BikeLNK works collaboratively with City of Lincoln and local nonprofit partners to maximize usage of bike share services available to the community. In the past year alone, BikeLNK has worked with groups from across Lincoln such as Asian Community and Cultural Center, El Centro de las Américas, Aging Partners, Lincoln City Libraries’ Bennett Martin branch, AARP, Neighborworks Lincoln, and Lincoln Young Professionals Group to bring bike share to more of the community, addressing many of the barriers to entry to bike share. Whether those barriers are financial or educational, BikeLNK continues to prioritize the important work of making Lincoln happier, healthier, and more sustainable by bike.

Both classic pedal bikes – as well as pedal-assist ebikes – are available through BikeLNK 24/7, 365 days a year. Among its many benefits, bike share eliminates the need for storage and ongoing maintenance of a personal bicycle. BikeLNK ebikes go even further toward reducing the physical requirements needed to operate a typical bike as an electric-motor assists pedaling up to 16 mph. This reduces several of the primary physical stressors of bike travel – hills and distance. In its 5 years of operations, bike share has established itself as a vital, resilient part of the transportation landscape in Lincoln by connecting residents to vital city, educational, and health services.

Both classic pedal bikes – as well as pedal-assist ebikes – are available through BikeLNK 24/7, 365 days a year. Amongst its many benefits, bike share eliminates the need for storage and ongoing maintenance of a personal bicycle. BikeLNK ebikes go even further toward reducing the physical requirements needed to operate a typical bike as an electric-motor assists pedaling up to 16 mph. This reduces several of the primary physical stressors of bike travel – hills and distance. In its 5 years of operations, bike share has established itself as a vital, resilient part of the transportation landscape in Lincoln by connecting residents to vital city, educational, and health services.

And use of BikeLNK shows no sign of slowing down. 2023 has been an incredibly busy start for bike share in the Capital City – with over 12,500 trips to date BikeLNK has seen a 19% growth in bike trips compared to 2022. Another 20,000+ trips are expected through the end of 2023. To live in Lincoln is to experience the power of connections made – connections made in-person, in-community, and yes, by bike.  Keep pedaling, Lincoln!

For more details on BikeLNK and community partners, visit bikelnk.com.