Chamber speaker discusses potential economic impact of bikeshare program

When she provides data on the impact of a bikeshare program, Lindsey Gray West will provide the miles biked, bikes ridden and calories burned.

“Our systems track from checkouts to miles ridden, and we convert those into calories burned and emissions reduced,” said West, director of Zyp Bikeshare. “I always tend to convert that into how many donuts that is, and I will continue to do that for your community. That is my commitment to Homewood as well.”

Although there are no set plans to bring Zyp Bikeshare to Homewood — there is only an ongoing feasibility study at this time — West discussed the potential influence a bikeshare program would have in Homewood during the May 17 Homewood Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Zyp launched in Birmingham last October, and West said the city has already seen tremendous use and positive feedback.

“We hosted 13 influencers from Baton Rouge, Louisiana just a couple of weeks ago as well,” West said. “They came to see Birmingham just for bikeshare, and it was a pretty amazing day. … It was almost like we staged it, and we did not.”

The representatives from Baton Rouge left saying they wanted to “be Birmingham,” West said. In just six months, the Zyp Bikeshare program has seen a lot of success in downtown Birmingham and has around 8,000 annual members.

“We hope to accomplish the same type of thing in Homewood. An extension, per say, of Zyp Bikeshare,” West said.

Bikeshare is intended for short trips and will not replace a mountain bike, West said. Rather, the bikes in Zyp Bikeshare provide an alternate means of transportation for short trips. Usage is free after the initial fee for the first 45 minutes, after which there is a $2 charge for the next 30 minutes and a $4 charge in each of the following 30 minutes.

These limits do not mean someone cannot use the bike for longer, West said, but just prevents individuals from taking the bikes up to a loft or an office an keeping others from using it.

“Simply to not get those overtime fees, you can just dock the bike. [Then] You can immediately undock the bike and keep on rolling,” West said.

Overall, a bikeshare program allows people to travel between nearby businesses, restaurants or parks, West said, and Homewood’s dense layout is a good fit for a bikeshare program.

“I know Homewood is the most walkable community in our state, so why not become the most bikeable as well?,” West said. “I think it’s a good fit, I think it fits well.”

In addition to increasing transportation options, West said the program also allows for a health benefit.

“Alabama is, unfortunately, one of the most obese states in the country, so this is a great way to combat some of that and get our communities active again in a fun way,” she said.

At this time, a feasibility study and plan and business plan are being worked out for Homewood. These studies are looking at what potential infrastructure changes, barriers or funding would need to be taken into account before bringing bikeshare to Homewood.

“The city is not saying a bikeshare program is going to happen,” West said. “They’re saying they’re committed to looking into the implementation of it here and what it takes.”

As the feasibility study continues, West said there is a survey available to community members who would like to provide feedback on a potential bikeshare program. That survey is available on homewoodbikeshare.com.