Link: Dayton Bike Share will celebrate five years of operation by adding 100 electric bicycles (e-bikes) to its fleet this spring. The e-bikes will be deployed in partnership with the micromobility provider Drop Mobility under the name, eLink. The existing green Link bikes will be upgraded as well to migrate to this new platform this spring.
The eLink bikes will be white in color with green accents to help them stand out from the green Link bikes. The eLink bikes must be pedaled to engage the electric motor in the bike that assists riders. The bikes do not assist a rider above a speed of 15 mph, and they can be ridden anywhere in the system service area which will be outlined in the app.
“Users will be able to access both types of bikes in the Link Dayton app, which will launch later this spring,” said Bike Miami Valley’s executive director Laura Estandia. “We listened to feedback from potential riders and stakeholders, and there has always been a strong desire for Link to grow,” says Estandia. The new kits for the green Link bikes will eliminate the need for stations, which greatly reduces the cost of expanding. All existing Link locations will be replaced with bike racks, which will serve as the new parking locations for both types of bikes.
The operators of the Link system, Bike Miami Valley and Greater Dayton RTA, made the decision to close the system a bit earlier than planned due to the current health crisis. “We were expecting this closure not to occur for another few weeks, but with the current health crisis, we feel it makes sense to close the operation sooner rather than later so we can focus on getting the new system online,” says Estandia.
“We’re very excited to be working with Bike Miami Valley and Greater Dayton RTA for bringing e-bikes to Dayton- through this partnership, we look forward to delivering a truly seamless, integrated and sustainable micro-mobility service for everybody in the community,” said Dipesh Dar, COO of Drop Mobility.
The last day to get a Link trip on the existing system will be Saturday, March 21st. All current Annual and Monthly Link: Dayton Bike Share memberships will be transferable to the new system when it launches later this spring. Existing memberships with time left will be honored in the new system and the option to renew at a low rate will be offered to members. Members should call 937-496-3825 or email [email protected], if they have any questions.
Pricing and additional details will be released in the coming months and will be available at www.linkdayton.org.
