Zagster Kicks Off Community Sponsorship Outreach Program to Fund Launch of Rochester's Bike-Sharing System

ROCHESTER, NY--(Marketwired - Nov 3, 2016) - Zagster, the company selected by the City of Rochester to manage its planned bike-sharing system, is seeking sponsorship and underwriting for the program throughout the greater Rochester area. Corporate, organization and individual sponsorships will support what is expected to be a 250-bike system debuting in the spring of 2017.

The bike-share program will help Rochester provide healthy and sustainable transportation, and it will drive economic growth by making the City a more attractive place to live, work and visit. And as a unique out-of-home advertising opportunity, it will also provide sponsoring organizations with a visible return on investment in the form of physical (bikes, stations, signage) and digital (website, app) assets while boosting brand reputation through association with a positive community development.

Zagster is accepting sponsorship applications from all interested parties through Friday, December 2. More information about supporting the Rochester bike share can be found at zagster.com/sponsor-rochester.

"Bike-sharing programs are increasingly valuable components of transportation networks in cities of all sizes because of their ability to reduce congestion and parking demand, promote healthier lifestyles and spur economic growth," said Rochester Mayor Lovely A. Warren. "We look forward to working with Zagster to engage our community partners to help us build a world-class bike-share network that further enhances our reputation as a bicycle friendly city, which helps us create more jobs, safer, more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities in our schools."

In anticipation of the program's scheduled launch, Zagster and the City have begun outreach to interested parties who recognize the civic, community and business value in bike-share sponsorship and who recognize the role a bike-share program plays in developing a vibrant city. The City and Zagster are seeking multiple sponsors for multiple levels of commitment, including a systemwide title sponsor and supplementary station sponsors. The City has already committed to sponsoring a station at City Hall, and encourages visionary organizations to join it in realizing bike sharing for the entire community.

Zagster will manage everything involved in Rochester's bike sharing program, including hardware, software, maintenance, rider support and local promotion. Zagster bikes feature an app-based interface and the first Bluetooth ring locking technology used in North American bike-sharing to provide a simple, streamlined rider experience.

"Bike-sharing helps build strong communities and strong communities help bike-sharing programs thrive," said Timothy Ericson, Zagster co-founder and CEO. "Zagster has proven experience building collaborative funding partnerships that unite communities around bike-sharing's mutual benefits and goals, and we're excited to begin that process here in Rochester."

In cities like Rochester, Zagster has secured bike-share sponsorships from a range of sources -- including businesses, nonprofits, civic organizations, real estate developers, museums and breweries, among others. That includes a robust sponsorship network of more than 30 local organizations in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

About Zagster
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Zagster is the largest and fastest-growing bike-share provider in the United States. Zagster works directly with more than 140 cities, universities, businesses and real estate properties across North America to make scalable bike-sharing programs available in areas where traditional bike-share providers can't reach. The company's goal: To make the bike the most loved form of transportation.

More information about Zagster and its programs can be found at www.Zagster.com