Fort Wayne Kicks Off Bike Share Program

Fort Wayne launched a rental bike program earlier this year.

The city of Fort Wayne has launched its first bike share program. Mayor Tom Henry says the program is the result of a partnership with Leadership Fort Wayne and Massachusetts-based Zagster Inc.

The program includes 25 cruiser bikes available at five downtown locations. Riders can purchase a day pass to use the bikes or sign up for a monthly or annual membership.

"Hosting a bike sharing system demonstrates that Fort Wayne is a vibrant, healthy and engaged community," said Henry. "We’re committed to making Fort Wayne a great place to live, visit and work, and the addition of bike sharing is a great way to enhance our quality of life and keep our community moving in the right direction."

The idea to establish a bike share program came from members of the 2015 Leadership Fort Wayne class, which is a program of Greater Fort Wayne Inc. Their work led the city to partner with Zagster, which provides bike sharing systems throughout the country.

"Zagster allows mid-sized cities like Fort Wayne the opportunity to have the amenities of major metropolitan areas without the cost and complexity of bigger systems like those in Chicago and New York," said Kathryn Gentz, Leadership Fort Wayne team member. "We are excited to help bring bike sharing to Fort Wayne and look forward to seeing the system grow."

The city says it has committed $45,000 each year in CEDIT funds for two years. During that time, officials will work to get private sponsors to grow the program. 

You can find out more information about the program, including the cost, by clicking here.