Starting today, Portlanders are going to start seeing orange bikes everywhere. In a partnership with the Portland Bureau of Transportation, Nike is placing 100 new bike racks with 1,000 orange bicycles all over Portland. This new bike-sharing program, called BIKETOWN PDX, already has 1,000 people signed up for their annual membership.
This a huge marketing venture for Nike. The model has been tested and been successful in other cities. The largest bike sharing system in the US is called Citibike and is sponsored by Citi Bank. Nike is spending $10 million to sponsor the Portland program for the next 5 years.
The bikes are bright orange, reminding consumers of the bright orange boxes on the shelves of their local shoe store. All of the bikes have swooshes. 100 of the bikes are colored to look like some of Nike’s most famous shoe brands: Nike Air Max 95, Nike Air Trainer 1, and the Nike Air Safari.
How does it work?
1) First you join on your smartphone through a mobile app or on your computer through their website.
2) Choose your plan (see below)
3) They will send you a 6-digit account number and a 4-digit pin that you use to unlock the bike.
4) Then you ride around town.
5) Return to any Biketown bike rack, or you can lock it at any rack for a $2 fee.
Cost:
A single ride is $2.50
A day pass is $12.00
Annual membership (90 mins of daily ride time, unlimited trips) is $12 a month.
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Pictures and Sources:
http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2016/07/nike_dressing_up_some_biketown.html
http://koin.com/2016/07/19/biketown-rolls-out-on-portland-streets/