CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zagster, the nation’s leading provider of modern, flexible bike share services, today announced the launch of Pace, a new nationwide bike share service that offers all the benefits of dockless bike sharing with none of the drawbacks. Powered by Zagster’s proven smart bike platform, 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.
Tallahassee, Fla., Albuquerque, N.M., Rochester, N.Y., Knoxville, Tenn., and Huntsville, Ala. are the first cities to join Pace, with each launch scheduled before April 1, 2018.
“With Pace, Zagster is ushering in a new era of mobility for American cities and universities, furthering its mission to make the bike the most loved form of transportation,” said Timothy Ericson, founder and CEO of Zagster. “As we bring Pace to new cities like Tallahassee and our existing customers like Albuquerque, Rochester and Huntsville — dramatically increasing the size of each of their fleets in the process — we will become the largest dockless bike share provider in North America with hundreds of thousands of shared bikes.”
Unlike other dockless bike sharing models, Pace:
- Adapts to each city’s needs, environment and character by intelligently placing dedicated Pace bike racks in key areas to maximize ridership and equity;
- Features a two-point security system to ensure bikes lock to fixed objects — not just to themselves — to mitigate theft and abuse and preserve public right of way; and
- Offers the reliability of dedicated bike share parking plus the freedom of point-to-point travel and ‘hold’ capabilities for mid-rental stops.
With years of experience and knowledge under its belt, Zagster beta tested Pace’s model and features from July through October in Rochester, New York, with outstanding results. When compared to station-based bike shares in similar cities, the Pace model achieved an 800% increase in ridership in the first 90 days of service. Furthermore, rider satisfaction survey results in Rochester showed that the Pace model consistently matched both rider and city needs.
“With the arrival of Pace, the success we’ve seen by offering our citizens a flexible, modern bike share service can be brought to other cities across the country,” said Rochester Mayor Lovely A. Warren. “In its first season of operations in Rochester, Zagster has become a vital and integral component of our city’s existing transportation network and shown its willingness to be a true community partner. Thanks to the Zagster’s efforts, we have been able to demonstrate how a dynamic bike-share system can play an important role in our efforts to create more jobs, safer and more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities for our citizens.”
People living near Pace cities and colleges simply download the free Pace app, available in the App Store or Google Play. One tap in the app automatically unlocks the bike, allowing a rider to get rolling in seconds. There is no membership fee to join Pace, and rides start at just $1 per half hour.
More information about Pace can be found at ridepace.com.
About Zagster
Founded in 2007, and headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Zagster operates more than 200 bike shares across 35 states. Zagster pioneered the smart bike platform that enabled bike sharing to flourish in communities of all types and sizes nationwide. The company’s goal: 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.
About Pace
Pace is a nationwide bike share service that offers all the benefits of dockless bike sharing with none of the drawbacks. Powered by Zagster’s proven smart bike platform, 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.
Media Contact:
Jon Terbush, Zagster communications manager
jterbush@zagster.com
(617) 681-4914