Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild announced at a press conference at City Hall Oct. 26 that the city will soon have a bike share program, joining more than 50 American cities that have similar programs.
The “Tugo” bike share program will bring in 330 bikes to be used in and around downtown and the University of Arizona. The bikes will be available at 36 self-service, solar-powered stations.
The mayor called it a “transformational announcement for Tucson.”
The basic daily rate will be $8 for unlimited rides during the day, but the bikes will need to be parked every 30 minutes at one of the 36 stations to avoid additional fees. An access pass ($5 a year) will be available to people who meet certain income thresholds. The program also will offer a senior citizen discount.
Tugo kiosks will accept major credit cards, and users will be able to buy daily, monthly, and yearly passes. A cash option also will be available through pay stations at participating retailers.
Rothschild said that the bike stations would be installed in the next week or two; a Rio Nuevo Station installation was slated for Nov. 2.
An app, CycleFinder, also will be available for use when the program launches.
The bike share program was approved by the Tucson City Council in June 2016. It will be operated by Shift Transit, with equipment and technology provided by PBSC Urban Solutions. Shift Transit has deployed more than 50,000 bikes in cities around the world including Chicago, Detroit and Toronto.
