Breeze Bike Share Turns One
November 9, 2016 12:00 PM
When: Saturday, November 12, 2:30 p.m. community ride and 4:30 p.m. open house
Where: Community ride leaves from the 17th Street/SMC Expo Line Station culminating at Breeze HQ for an open house, 1631 Colorado Avenue
SANTA MONICA, CA -- On Saturday November 12, the City of Santa Monica celebrates the one-year anniversary of Breeze Bike Share presented by hulu, and its nearly 43,000 subscribers! Breeze’s birthday will be celebrated with a community ride, open house, and free ride time.
On November 12, 2015, Breeze became L.A. County’s first public bike share system. Today, there are 500 ‘smart bikes’ at 85 stations available to residents, workers, and visitors throughout Santa Monica and Venice. Breeze’s first year has been very successful, attracting nearly 43,000 subscribers who have ridden over 618,000 miles on 285,000 trips. The growth in ridership helps reduce vehicle congestion and provides a critical first/last mile connection to the new Expo Line and the Big Blue Bus. To date, Santa Monicans account for 47 percent of the total trips taken, while L.A. County residents account for 24 percent, and visitors 29 percent.
Since the launch, the City has responded to riders’ suggestions by adding 12 stations to the system, and making Breeze more affordable by extending daily ride time for annual, monthly, and student members from 30-60 minutes to 90 minutes. Breeze now also offers reduced rates for residents living in affordable housing through Community Corporation of Santa Monica. Reduced rates are now also offered for employers that want to bulk purchase memberships for employees. The City anticipates these programs will invite new riders to try bike share and get more people Breezing more often.
The coming year will bring more bike share improvements. Locally, the City is exploring adding and expanding stations in some neighborhoods, assessing the need for expanding the fleet, and broadening outreach and education efforts related to program options, riding etiquette, and safety. Regionally, the City is working with other west side communities to integrate Breeze with new partner systems in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and the UCLA campus. This will create a seamless regional bike share experience enabling users to roam from city to city while using one bike share account. The west side regional bike share network will empower users to ride farther, connect to transit, and always have a bike waiting on the other end.
Join the City, Breeze Bike Share, and other Breeze riders on Saturday, November 12 to celebrate the successful first year of Breeze:
- Community Ride and Open House, 2:30 p.m.: Santa Monica Spoke will host a Community Ride leaving from the 17th Street Expo Station at 2:30 p.m. It will end with an open house at Breeze Operations HQ, 1631 Colorado Avenue. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. RSVP to Santa Monica Spoke.
- Free Rides on Breeze: Monthly, annual, and student members will not be charged for ride time exceeding the 90 minutes included with membership. Pay-as-you-go members will not be charged for their ride time. Not a member? Give it a try by signing up for a Pay-As-You-Go membership at www.breezebikeshare.com or download the Social Bicycles app.
The public is invited to share their Breeze experience on November 12 by using #BreezeBike and #GoSaMo on social media.
About Breeze Bike Share
Breeze Bike Share is owned by the City of Santa Monica and is an important component in the City’s overall strategy to offer sustainable vehicle trip alternatives that reduce emissions, and improve mobility, community health, and the overall quality of life in Santa Monica. For more information or to join the thousands of Breeze riders, visit www.breezebikeshare.com. For more information on multi-modal options in Santa Monica, visit www.smgov.net/gosamo.
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Media Contact
Constance Farrell
Communications & Public Information Manager
Constance.Farrell@santamonica.gov