Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky aren't the only local areas jumping on the shared bicycle train.
In just eight weeks, the River Cities Bike Share program has exposed about 1,300 people to all that Southeastern Indiana has to offer.
The towns of Aurora and Lawrenceburg collaborated to promote connectivity within the two cities, as well as to its sister cities of Greendale and Rising Sun, through a municipal bike share program that Guinevere Emery, city manager of Aurora, says is the first of its kind.
“The River Cities Bike Share program's mission stems from Aurora’s ‘Big 5’ ideas that highlight downtown revitalization, neighborhood revitalization, tourism and outdoor recreation, riverfront development and quality of life and community connections,” Emery says. “It maximizes exposure to our local assets, such as the Ohio River, the historic business districts, neighborhoods and the Dearborn Trail.”
Thirty “ride and return” bicycles are dispersed among three locations — downtown Aurora (on Main Street across from the Aurora City Building), along the Dearborn Trail (109 Manchester Landing, Aurora) and in downtown Lawrenceburg (between Ivy Tech and the Event Center).
The bike share system is accompanied by an app that allows for Bluetooth locking and billing, in addition to cloud based administrative software. (The app is available for both Apple and Android devices.)
“The program is based on a user friendly rent, ride and return premise,” Emery says.
Bike rental costs are $3 for the first hour and $2 for each additional hour, making it affordable for residents and visitors alike.
The program is not only successful, but Emery says it’s also sustainable, as Aurora and Lawrenceburg have set up a shared River Cities Bike Share Program Donation Fund.
“The City of Madison, the town of Vevey and facilities in Texas have sought more information regarding our River Cities Bike Share program. The overwhelming success reflects the program's ingenuity, localized support for shared connectivity and fortitude to recognize our region with quality experiences."
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