Despite public perception of its decline, Portland’s bike share system is alive and well.
Responding to a reader question in Willamette Week, Marty Smith argues that Portland, Oregon’s Biketown bike share experiment is going great, actually.
According to Smith, “In 2023 (the last year for which figures are available) ridership increased by 14%, the e-bike fleet swelled from 1,500 to 2,000 vehicles, and the system added 13 new stations.” And while prices for bike rentals did go up in 2023, “ lots of prices went up in 2023,” and low-income residents can qualify for a free Biketown for All membership.
Smith blames negative perception of the program in part on the system’s aesthetics. “Fluorescent colors fade quickly with exposure to sunlight, and the sight of so many e-bikes looking washed out and decrepit may have contributed to an impression that the program was struggling. But it’s not struggling, and I guess we should try to appreciate that fact.”
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