The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Lyft have launched a new fleet of pedal-assist electric bikes for BIKETOWN, Portland's bike share system known for its orange bikes. With the support of title sponsor NIKE, Inc., PBOT and Lyft are growing BIKETOWN's service area to 32 square miles, including its first expansion into East Portland, encompassing the Jade District and portions of Lents, Powellhurst-Gilbert and the Gateway area.
BIKETOWN has 500 of the new e-bikes available, and will grow the fleet to 1,500 e-bikes in the coming weeks. That compares with the 1,000 bicycles BIKETOWN has had since it first launched in 2016.
“I am so pleased that BIKETOWN is finally being deployed in East Portland,” Transportation Commissioner Chloe Eudaly said. “This expansion is a significant advancement for transportation equity in East Portland, and it will increase sustainable transportation options for our entire city. I hope that the introduction of electric pedal-assist bikes to our fleet will encourage more Portlanders to try biking, and I look forward to the continued expansion of BIKETOWN for All and Adaptive BIKETOWN.”
"Alongside our partners at PBOT and Nike, we are proud to expand transportation access for riders in Portland through the new BIKETOWN e-bikes and larger service area," said Patrick Quintana, General Manager for Lyft Bikes in Portland. "With just a few taps on the Lyft and BIKETOWN apps, riders in Portland can access e-bikes to get around their city in a low-emission, low-effort way."
"This is a great day for sustainable transportation," Portland Transportation Director Chris Warner said. "With these new e-bikes, Portlanders will be able to go farther, make more trips by bike and experience the fun of riding with a pedal-assist motor. Today's expansion is the culmination of years of effort by PBOT and our partners to reach East Portland, and I can't wait to see how far we go together."
As part of its five-year contract extension announced in July, Lyft and PBOT plan to significantly expand BIKETOWN's service area and triple the existing number of bikes over the next four years. By 2024, there will be 3,000 e-bikes in total and a service area of 40 square miles, including further expansion in East Portland and North Portland, including Kenton and St. Johns, with service to parts of SW Portland.
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