Rival Bike Sharing Companies Launch In Saint Louis

ST. LOUIS, MO — Two rival bike sharing companies launched in St. Louis Monday, each offering 750 GPS-equipped, smartphone-compatible bicycles that users can rent for a buck or two an hour. Bikes belonging to California-based LimeBike are easily identifiable due to their neon green paint. Anyone 16 and older can rent one for $1 per half hour. Chinese bike sharing company Ofo's bicycles are yellow and a little cheaper. They'll be available to those 18 and older for $1 per full hour.

Additionally, LimeBike will offer half price for local college students and anyone else with a .edu email address. Ofo says student discounts are also in the works but won't be available at launch.

Both companies' bikes will be available 24 hours a day and, unlike other cities with bike sharing programs, St. Louis' bikes will not use docks. Rather, the bikes wheels will be locked by remote when they are parked. Once users pay to rent one with their smartphones, the wheels will unlock and the bikes will be tracked by GPS to their destinations. City officials say they hope the bikes won't block driveways, fire hydrants or be left on private property. LimeBike and Ofo will be responsible for addressing any parking violation within a few hours, officials said.

The city has mandated that at least 20 percent of their bikes will be located in low-income areas within a few miles of MetroLink stations. The companies are also exploring additional payment options for those without smartphones or credit cards.

Photo: Ofo bikes in Dallas, Texas. (James Potter/Patch)