$580,000 Grant Will Expand Explore Bike Share to University of Memphis Campus

Enhances the Student Experience by Furthering Connectivity Between Campus, Highland Area

October 8, 2018 - Explore Bike Share, a nonprofit which launched a 60-station, 600-bike bike share system in Memphis this May, will expand its service area to the University of Memphis campus and surrounding community next fall.

The University of Memphis has received $580,000 through a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant to fund the installation of Explore Bike Share docking stations on campus with 60 bikes distributed between them. The funding will also provide a significant number of Explore Bike Share memberships for students.

"The University of Memphis area has found its identity as a popular retail, food and residential district, while University enrollment has grown and retention rates are at an all-time high," said UofM President M. David Rudd. "We see tremendous value in Explore Bike Share, and believe it will be an innovative way to service our students' needs and increase our sustainability by increasing mobility options, relieving the pressure of parking by reducing motor vehicle usage and getting our students engaged in the community."

Explore Bike Share also received its own CMAQ funding in 2017 to expand the bike share network by an additional 30 stations and 300 bikes in 2019.

Explore Bike Share will work with students and campus officials to identify locations where bike share stations can best support student life.

"Our mission at Explore Bike Share is to provide Memphians with affordable, accessible and easy transportation, and we start on the ground with community members and leaders," said Sara Studdard, Explore Bike Share's Community Engagement and Marketing Director. "Bike share would give students an easy, exciting way to engage in the college experience, but first we have to ask them a simple question – where do you want to go?"

Sonal Thorat, a student at the University of Memphis, values having a sense of agency when it comes to new campus services.

"To me, the fact that Explore Bike Share is actually asking students where we think the stations should go is really important," Thorat said. "Usually people with ideas just come in and do whatever they want, and then just expect us to love it."

Explore Bike Share will participate in the University of Memphis' Tiger Blue Goes Green event Oct. 9 at 10 a.m., taking questions, suggestions and feedback from UofM students while offering a chance for them to experience Explore Bike Share hands-on.

For more information about Explore Bike Share, including group memberships, visit Explore Bike Share

ABOUT EXPLORE BIKE SHARE. Explore Bike Share is a Memphis 501(c)3 that has implemented a robust bike share system and transportation tool to advance the city on multiple fronts—including but not limited to transportation, tourism, health, environment and culture—with access to as many Memphians as possible. Initially launched with a 600-bike system in May 2018, the system will expand to 900 bikes by 2019. For more information, visit Explore Bike Share.