Coast Bike Share Launches In St. Pete This Weekend

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — St. Petersburg area residents and visitors who would rather soak up the sunshine while traveling through town will find that prospect becomes a whole lot easier starting this Saturday. That’s when Coast Ride Share intends to celebrate its St. Pete launch with a big party in downtown.

Set to take place starting at 8:30 a.m. on the grounds of City Hall, the launch party features speeches and coffee before “cycle-loving city residents take to the streets for a community ride through downtown and along the waterfront,” according the company. Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin and city council members intend to join in the fun that will include a stop at Saturday’s Localtopia event.

Folks who want to join in the free ride are asked to RSVP on Facebook.

Coast Bike Share is a bicycle sharing program that began serving the city in limited capacity late last year. Its full rollout in St. Petersburg means that 300 of the company’s distinctive blue bikes will be available for rental. Bikes will be made available for pickup and drop off at 30 different hub stations in downtown.

Keep up with what’s happening by following St. Pete Patch on Facebook!

The bike share program does cost money to use.

"Riders can choose from a variety of options to suit their needs including Pay-As-You-Go – picking up and dropping off bikes as they need to for $8 per hour – or a $15 monthly membership, which comes with 60 minutes of daily ride time," the company's website explains. "Residents can also purchase a $79 annual membership – $59 for students – for 60 minutes of daily ride time."

Saturday’s full launch builds upon the demo system that’s been in place since last November. The demo included 100 bikes and 10 stations in downtown to coincide with the launch of the Cross-Bay Ferry. Coast Bike Share reports that in the first 90 days of the demo, more than 12,000 miles were ridden by bike share users.

Here’s the schedule for Saturday’s launch party:

• 8:30 a.m. City Hall meet up at 175 5th St. N. for speeches and coffee
• 8:45 a.m. Ride along downtown and the waterfront’s Healthy St. Pete Loop
• 10 a.m. Bike through “the official Coast Bike Share ribbon for the opening of Localtopia”
• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Hang out at Localtopia where hundreds of vendors, artists and musicians plan to set up displays and entertain.

To find out more about Coast Bike Share, visit its website. To learn more about Saturday’s Localtopia event, check it out online.

Photo courtesy of Coast Bike Share