The City of Santa Monica has announced the full system launch of Breeze Bike Share is set for Thursday, Nov. 12. The festivities will kick off with a ribbon cutting ceremony and press conference in front of City Hall.
Mayor Kevin McKeown, the Santa Monica City Council, Assemblymember Richard Bloom and other regional leaders will take part in the ceremony, along with some surprise friends of bike share and Hulu who will help make the occasion a memorable one.
Music and refreshments will be available at 8:15 am, with the press conference beginning at 9 am.
Immediately following the ceremony, hundreds of excited cyclists will grab a green Breeze bike and take over Main Street for a massive community bike ride.
The “Breeze Send-Off” will be a sight to behold as two hundred Breeze Bikes begin their journeys to providing a green, active mode of transportation for Santa Monica residents and visitors alike.
As part of the day-long celebration, anyone who wants to can try out a Breeze bike for free from 6 am-10 pm. To ride free for the day, the community is invited to register online at www.breezebikeshare.com or on the Social Bicycles apps for android and IOS.
In preparation for the launch, the City has released the final map showing all 79 hub locations, four of which are located in Venice. The map is posted at www.smgov.net/bikeshare and at www.breezebikeshare.com.
In addition, the maps are conveniently located on all hub signs, which also include the City’s growing network of bike lanes and designated bikeway streets to help the community make the most of their bike share experience.
The Breeze bike share system has been designed to serve residents, businesses and key destinations citywide with a convenient, active transportation option.
Bike share is an important component in the City’s overall strategy to offer the community sustainable alternatives to vehicle trips to reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. City leaders anticipate Breeze bike rides will replace the short trips around town that used to require a car ride and the ideal way to access Expo Light Rail when it arrives in spring of 2016.
Breeze Bike Share, owned by the City of Santa Monica and operated by CycleHop, LLC, will provide 500 public bicycles at 75 stations throughout the city and select locations in nearby Venice.
Payment options include “pay-as-you-go” at $1/10 minutes, and monthly or annual membership rates that offer huge savings. Register at www.breezebikeshare.com or through the Social Bicycles app for IOS and android.
