U. of Md., Zagster expand bikeshare program

The City of College Park, the University of Maryland, and Zagster Inc., expanded the university’s popular mBike bikeshare program, which will now feature 163 bikes at 19 stations, including new stations in neighboring University Park.

The program — which offers a convenient, affordable and healthy way for people to get on, off and around campus and the city — has grown by 30% since its debut.

Launched in May 2016, the mBike program was intended to provide easy access to biking and its many benefits; to fill gaps in the local transportation system; and to give people an easy way to get to and from the Metro, as well as around campus, all without increasing cars on the roads. The community response has been tremendous: The program crossed the 24,000 ride mark less than a year after launching. This is now the second expansion since the initial launch — and further expansion is on the horizon to broaden mBike's scope, and to increase its positive impact for the community and its utility to riders.

"We are very excited about the growth and success of the system," said University of Maryland Campus Bicycle Coordinator, Aaron Goldbeck. "We have had inquiries about mBike from transportation officials in Portland, Oregon, at the National Institute of Health, and an in person visit from officials from the New York City Department of Transportation — all interested in how we integrate adaptive bikes to our bikeshare network."

The mBike program is operated by Zagster, the nationwide leader in campus bike sharing. Unlike other programs in which riders must drop off bikes at designated stations for every stop, one of the most popular and distinguishing features about Zagster programs is that the built-in lock on every bike gives users the freedom to ride as long as they want, wherever they want. This hybrid model, which blends dockless locking for mid-trip stops with fixed station locations for beginning and ending rides, allows users to plan their trips around their destinations — and not around station locations.