CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pace, the dockless bike share service of choice for America’s smart cities and colleges, launched today in Knoxville, Tenn., making 200 smart bikes available for residents, students and visitors to make on-demand trips with just a tap on their smartphones.
“The City of Knoxville is proud to welcome the Zagster team,” said Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero. “Their Pace bike share service will support Knoxville’s existing bike-friendly culture and complement our extensive network of greenways and bike lanes for recreational riders and commuters.”
Knoxville is the second in a wave of cities that recognize the benefits of modern, dockless bike sharing but want to avoid the drawbacks of completely “free-floating” dockless services. Pace achieves this balance by using bikes that lock to fixed objects — not just to themselves — and by providing dedicated Pace parking throughout the city. After debuting in Tallahassee, Fla. in December 2017, Pace will arrive in Albuquerque, N.M. in March, Rochester, N.Y. in April, and dozens of other cities and colleges in 2018.
Pace features a first-of-its-kind dockless bike share model that blends predictability and convenience for riders while preserving order and safety for communities. In Knoxville, riders can rent and return bikes from any of Pace’s 20 dedicated bike parking racks, or from any public bike rack available throughout the city. This mix of intelligently placed bike share hubs, plus the freedom of being able to lock Pace bikes to public racks, enables true point-to-point travel while ensuring riders can reliably add bike sharing to their daily transit mix.
“We could not be more excited about this partnership with Pace,” said Kim Bumpas, President of Visit Knoxville. “This bike sharing service is powered by Zagster, the leading provider of bike share programs. With the love Knoxville has for biking, it’s only natural that we’d want and expect the best — and that’s what we’re getting. Pace will allow visitors and locals alike to enjoy more than 85 miles of greenway throughout Knox County and access many of Knoxville’s most popular spots, including the UT Campus, World's Fair Park, the Tennessee River and Knoxville's Urban Wilderness.”
To ride Pace, riders simply download the free Pace bike share app, available in the App Store or Google Play. Riders find available bikes and parking locations in the app, and can unlock bikes at the touch of a button. Pace rides in Knoxville cost $1.50 per half hour, and the first 30-minute ride for every new user is free.
“Bike sharing works best when the entire community comes together to promote vibrant bike culture — and that’s exactly what we’re seeing here in Knoxville,” said Timothy Ericson, founder and CEO of Zagster, Inc., the company that powers Pace. “We are delighted to support Knoxville in its commitment to sustainable, flexible transportation, and believe this city will serve as an exemplar for communities nationwide that want all the benefits of modern, dockless bike sharing but none of the drawbacks.”
About Zagster
Founded in 2007, and headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Zagster operates more than 200 bike shares across 35 states. Zagster powers Pace, a nationwide bike share service for cities and colleges that offers all the benefits of dockless bike sharing with none of the drawbacks. Pace features a first-of-its-kind dockless bike sharing model that blends predictability and flexibility for riders while preserving order and safety for communities. Zagster’s mission: To make the bike the most loved form of transportation in every community.
More information about Zagster and its programs can be found at www.zagster.com.
More information about Pace can be found at www.ridepace.com.
Media Contact
Jon Terbush, Zagster Communications Manager, jterbush@zagster.com, 617.681.4914
Erin Donovan, donovan@knoxville.org, (865) 306-4341