What are those bright green bikes in Key Biscayne? It’s LimeBike, new bike sharing program
- Johnny Diaz / Sun SentinelInstead of returning a bike rental to a docking station, riders simply lock the bike's back wheel and park it at a bike rack or along a sidewalk.
Visitors driving around Key Biscayne may have noticed a lot of bright-green bicycles dotting the island village.
In June, Key Biscayne became the first city in the United States to roll out LimeBike, a new dockless bike sharing program.
The California-based company, which was founded in January, launched its first bike program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro before adding Key Biscayne as municipal location.
“It’s the perfect place for LimeBike to operate because it’s a small town and using a bike is so much easier, healthier and better for the environment in a city like Key Biscayne,” said Yuki Lin of LimeBike, which has 180 bikes in the village. “The city has been so welcoming, and it’s been super easy to work with the community and local government officials in implementing the program.”
LimeBike joins other bike rental services that have peddled their way into South Florida in recent years. They include the Citi Bike program in Miami and Miami Beach, the Broward B-cycle and Skybike in West Palm Beach.
But unlike other bike-sharing systems that require users to return to a docking station, LimeBike riders can leave bikes at a rack or anywhere that allows bike parking, such as a park or along a sidewalk. (On a recent Sunday ride, bikes were seen parked in front of Key Biscayne’s public library, at a park, school, bus stops and in front of private homes.)
How it works:
Users must download the LimeBike app on their smart phones and create an account. Then they can locate a nearby bicycle using the app’s GPS. To unlock it, riders must scan the QR code on the bicycle, or they can type in the number on the bicycle’s plate.
A short musical theme plays when the bicycle unlocks. For first-time users, the first 30 minutes are free. Then the bikes cost 1ドル per half hour. Users can deposit as little as 5ドル to their LimeBike account using a debit or credit card.
To park the bike, there is a double kickstand on the back wheel. To end the ride, customers have to push down on a red lever on the back wheel to relock the bike for another user.
The app summarizes the trip after the ride is completed.
The company is adding other cities this month including Seattle; South Bend, Ind., and cities in California. No word yet on any other South Florida cities.
“Key Biscayne is a pilot program, so we’re hoping it’s popular and catches on,” added Lin.