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Council Hears Bikeshare Check‑In: 769 Trips in 2024, LTD Pledges $50,000 Per Year; Questions on Cost Per Trip
Summary
Staff reported 769 trips April–Dec 2024 and asked council to note plans to expand service area; Lane Transit District recommitted funding and bike counts, while councilors raised concerns about high per‑trip costs and suggested infrastructure or outreach adjustments.
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — City staff reviewed the first year of the bike share pilot Monday and outlined plans to expand the service area and increase outreach after modest ridership in 2024.
Drew Larson, the city's senior transportation planner, told the council the bike share pilot (launched April 19, 2024) recorded about 769 trips from April 19 through Dec. 31, 2024, with roughly 285 trips beginning or ending inside Springfield’s small downtown service area and about 500 trips between Eugene and Springfield. Cascadia Mobility — the operator — projected 2025 operating costs of roughly $1,050,000. Last year the city provided $16,500 for one pilot year; Lane Transit District has verbally committed and later recommitted to contribute $50,000 per year for each of the next two years and to increase bikes assigned to Springfield.
Council discussion focused on boosting use before committing more local funds. Councilor Kelsey Doyle, who voted against the original pilot, calculated a high cost per trip using figures in the presentation and said the city should prioritize bike lanes, safe crossings and theft prevention over subsidizing trips. Councilor Beth Blackwell and others said the program functions as transportation infrastructure—first/last‑mile connectivity with bus services—and welcomed LTD’s funding and an expanded gateway service area. Councilor Rodley and others noted anecdotal use at the gateway and Meadow Park and asked staff to clarify how many additional bikes and hubs would be added. Staff said they will evaluate placing hub racks on private property with agreement from property owners, expand the downtown boundary toward Meadow Park to capture higher‑density residential origins, and return with a second‑year check‑in.
Other operational details discussed: a $25 fee is charged if users lock a bike outside the defined service area (operators may waive early infractions); the operator is being asked to provide bike valet at events; staff will examine adjustments such as a free first hour and increased outreach. Eric Brianstein, director of marketing for LTD, said LTD sees bike share as part of a multimodal network connecting to transit.
No funding action was required; council directed staff to continue monitoring, to work with LTD on the service area expansion and to return with year‑2 performance data and recommendations.
