Since rolling into town in May of 2017, public bike-share system MoGo has shattered first-year expectations, according to their first annual report released today. A nonprofit affiliate of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, MoGo provided more than 200,000 rides to Detroiters as of Sep. 2018 – more than double first-year projections.
All signs point to continued expansion. MoGo enjoys an 18 percent year-over-year increase in monthly and annual memberships, according to the report. And they recently received a $495,380 grant from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, to expand the bike share program to Berkley, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Oak Park and Royal Oak in 2019, according to Crain’s.
MoGo’s objectives are threefold: to offer affordable transit, promote health and connectivity, and make biking in Detroit more accessible. Their long-term goal is to reduce car use by providing a convenient and affordable alternative.
“Since launching in 2017, our team has worked hard to provide an affordable, reliable, and accessible transportation option for Detroiters and visitors alike,” said founder and executive director Lisa Nuszkowski in a statement. “We are proud to have paved the way in bringing new mobility options to the city and look forward to continuing to serve a wide range of people and needs through our services in the years to come.”
MoGo offers $5 annual passes to those enrolled in some state benefits programs, who account for 20 percent of users. MoGo also rolled out two pilot programs this year to make their bikes more accessible: Adaptive MoGo and the DDOTxMoGo pass.
Adaptive MoGo added 13 “adaptive cycles” to the fleet of bikes intended to accommodate Detroiters with disabilities. Five months after the program was rolled out, it had provided almost 200 rides to residents like Eunice Mark who lives with cerebral palsy and suffers from back issues.
“I made it my business to use Adaptive MoGo 2-3 times a week since July, riding from Joe Louis Arena to beyond Belle Isle, which is approximately 13 miles,” Mark said, according to the MoGo report. “I felt rejuvenated when riding in the open-air week after week.”
Through a partnership with the Detroit Department of Transportation, the DDOTxMoGo pass program offers free monthly MoGo passes to bus riders. The program has been well-received with most rides being taken to or from the Rosa Parks Transit Center, according to the report.
“I feel that MoGo is connecting people and places together and is creating a movement of its own,” says MoGo’s top rider Adam
MoGo has 430 bikes at 44 stations located across ten Detroit neighborhoods. Will Feuer is a fall editorial intern at Metro Times.
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