Ford GoBike Brings Bike Share to the East Bay for the First Time
Officials from Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville were joined by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, global bike share leader Motivate, Ford Motor Company and community members to celebrate the arrival of Ford GoBike, marking the first time bike share is available in the East Bay.
This morning’s public celebration on Latham Square in downtown Oakland builds on the vision set forth by MTC and the nation’s most forward-thinking mayors who united to create a bike share network that delivers maximum public benefits. With bike share fast emerging as an essential element of 21st century urban transportation systems, innovative cities like those of the San Francisco Bay Area are in the vanguard of a global trend. Ford GoBike creates an entirely new layer for the Bay Area’s transportation network, one that complements and extends existing transit options, in a flexible, environmentally-friendly and healthy way — all at no cost to taxpayers.
The program has been planned hand-in-hand with local governments and with extensive community input into station locations to ensure that Ford GoBike is built by and for the residents it serves. The program will also be the most equitable bike share in the nation with over 35 percent of stations being installed in Communities of Concern and with $5/year introductory memberships available to low income residents enrolled in CalFresh, San Francisco MUNI’s Lifeline Pass programs or the PG&E CARE utility discount.
As of today Ford GoBike has more than 450 bikes ready to ride at 43 Ford GoBike stations in Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville. By Labor Day, Ford GoBike’s East Bay deployment is expected to expand those numbers to 1,500 bicycles at over 120 stations. Every Ford GoBike user will enjoy full access to the entire regional network, which is also expanding in San Francisco and San Jose. Members can grab a bike in the East Bay, ride to BART or a ferry, dock, cross the Bay and then grab a bike at a station on the other side and keep going. When completed in 2018, the 7,000-bike, 546-station Ford GoBike system will make the Bay Area’s bike share network the second largest in North America.
“As mayor of Oakland and an MTC commissioner, I’m proud that the Bay Area has truly baked social equity into our bike sharing program,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “By providing a very affordable option of just $5 for the first year, placing stations in communities of every income level, and hiring employees from the diverse communities it serves, Ford GoBike’s ‘Bike Share For All’ program is on the fast track to becoming the most inclusive program of its kind in the county.”
“Nearly 10 percent of Berkeley’s residents already use bikes to get to work, more than any other U.S. city with a population of over 100,000,” said Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin. “Increasing bike usage offers many public benefits, such as reducing our dependence on greenhouse gas-emitting fuels and improving public health. I’m proud of Berkeley’s leadership in making bicycles a choice for so many commuters, and I’m grateful for a Ford GoBike system that will enable us to build on that success.”
“As a longtime advocate for a bike-friendly Emeryville, I’m excited that Ford GoBike is coming to the East Bay,” said Emeryville Mayor Scott Donahue. “Bike share will greatly reduce the time it’ll take to commute to and from Emeryville — and it’ll reduce traffic congestion on our streets.”
“Today’s East Bay launch further attests to the growing bike revolution sweeping the nation, and we’re proud to be creating the nation’s second biggest bike share, guided by the aspirations of thousands of Bay Area residents, local agencies and elected officials,” said Jay Walder, CEO of Motivate. “It includes Ford, whose sponsorship speaks so powerfully to bike share’s arrival as mainstay of urban transportation today. All of us at Motivate are grateful partners in a Ford GoBike effort that will reshape urban mobility in the Bay Area, and admirably represent our shared values for equity and sustainability.”
“We are excited to bring Ford GoBike to the East Bay, introducing an accessible, affordable and sustainable transportation solution for thousands of residents,” said Jessica Robinson, director of City Solutions, Ford Motor Company. “With Ford GoBike, we’re able to collaborate with Bay Area communities on a new sustainable mobility option to help people get around the cities they love.”
“These bikes could open the door for thousands of people to take back their health and save money on car trips. We're excited to teach many new people to ride, help people gain access to the service, and work with cities to get more protected bike lanes on the ground. And we invite everyone to join us at Pedalfest to test ride the bikes at Jack London Square on July 22,” said René Rivera, Executive Director at Bike East Bay.
This innovative public-private partnership is creating the nation’s second largest bike share program, all without taxpayer funding, thanks to sponsorship from Ford, Alaska Airlines and underwriting from City National Bank.
