Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc., Mayor Joe Hogsett launch Take a Free Ride

100 free Pacers Bikeshare annual passes offered to encourage community to ride

INDIANAPOLIS, 26 April 2023 – Today the Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc., Mayor Joe Hogsett, and the City’s Office of Sustainability announced Take a Free Ride, a program that will help shape the future of the city’s community bike share program. Through the program, 100 free Pacers Bikeshare annual passes will be made available to community members in exchange for valuable data and feedback from riders on their riding behavior and transportation needs.

“The City of Indianapolis and partners like the Cultural Trail are expanding transportation options for community members of every ability and background,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “By signing up with Take a Free Ride, participants can play a more direct role in shaping a cleaner, healthier, more mobile city.”

Interested individuals should live or work near a Pacers Bikeshare station and commit to answer a series of surveys. The Pacers Bikeshare team will randomly select participants from the list of those interested. To add your name to the list and read FAQs, visit indyculturaltrail.org/bikeshare. Deadline for entry is May 12, 2023, 11:59 pm EST.

Community members participating in Take a Free Ride will respond to a series of surveys and provide ridership data that will inform both organizations insight into bikeshare rider behavior. Ultimately, the goal is to encourage and incentivize more bike riding, more physical activity and fewer car trips in Indianapolis. The surveys will take place over the first six months of the program and the free annual pass is valid for 12 months.

“We are so excited about this partnership and chance to learn even more about how to make Pacers Bikeshare more accessible and enjoyable," said Kären Haley, Executive Director, Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc. “These free passes give us a chance to see what happens when the payment barrier is removed and learn, by doing that, how behavior changes."

The study will kick off in mid-May and participants will be required to attend an orientation, answer regular surveys about their riding choices, have their riding data tracked, and commit to riding weekly.

Pacers Bikeshare, a program of Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc, celebrated its 9th anniversary on April 22, 2023.

Pacers Bikeshare stats since 2014:

• 1,760,863 miles ridden - equivalent to 71 trips around the Earth’s equator
• 18,176,568 minutes ridden - equivalent to 34 years
• 70,011,072 calories burned - equivalent to consuming 105,017 boxes of macaroni and cheese
• 1,668,864 metric tons - estimated carbon offset

Top 5 busiest bike stations in 2022:

1. White River State Park
2. Broad Ripple - Westfield and Monon Trail
3. Athenaeum
4. Broad Ripple - Westfield and College
5. North and Alabama

###

About Pacers Bikeshare: Pacers Bikeshare, a program of Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc., launched on April 22, 2014, with 29 bikeshare stations on, or within a block of, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick. After a major expansion in September 2019 Pacers Bikeshare grew to 50 stations. Pacers Bikeshare is the city’s non-profit community bike share system, a public private partnership between the City of Indianapolis and Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc.

Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to create, inspire and sustain connections and cultural experiences that are accessible to all.

About Office of Sustainability: The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability administers Thrive Indianapolis, the City-County’s first ever sustainability and resilience action plan that sets Indy’s path to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. As a division of the Department of Public Works, the Office of Sustainability promotes an environmentally sustainable city through various programs and partnerships.

Some initiatives include a year-round air quality initiative Knozone, an electric vehicle education and awareness campaign Highly EVolved, and a building efficiency program Thriving Buildings. You can follow the Office of Sustainability on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Media Contact: Samantha Ayres, Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc., [email protected]