Happy 10th birthday, Bike Chattanooga!

As the Bike Chattanooga bike sharing program rejoices in a successful decade of bike share, it’s the perfect time to revisit some highlights and qualities that make this system so unique. Did you know that Bike Chattanooga’s fleet consists of all 4 of our friendly PBSC bike styles? That’s right, and it’s the only system in the world to do so.
 
Initiated by the City of Chattanooga’s Division of Transportation and operated since 2017 by Shift Transit (the latter are also our valued partners in successful bike share solutions in Toronto, Detroit, and Tucson), Bike Chattanooga currently features 400 of our bikes and 42 of our smart stations, as well as our handy PBSC app, which invites cyclists to easily locate and unlock bikes. 
 
After its 2012 start with a rollout of 300 PBSC regular bikes and 30 Smart Stations in this Tennessee city that's full of natural beauty, with mountains and the Tennessee River, Bike Chattanooga became the very first bike sharing system to deploy our PBSC electric bikes back when we launched our innovative BOOST e-bike in 2018. That was just one of the system’s expansions over the years; for example, in 2019, it grew by 47 e-bikes.

 
Next up, while promoting multimodality and active transport through various initiatives, as explains this article in The Chattanoogan, another 50 e-bikes will shortly be en route to this dynamic system, along with a new smart station. No wonder this cycle-savvy city earned a Silver rank by the League of American Bicyclists for being a “bike friendly community,” as per VisitChatanooga,com.

Bike Chattanooga’s Growth Over the Years

The numbers speak for themselves! Bike Chattanooga notes that 2018’s 53,339 trips became 74,409 trips in 2019 and 88,000 trips in 2020. And in 2021 alone, trips increased by more than 60 percent! As for members, according to this article in The Chattanoogan, yearly membership has jumped 79% since 2018. 
 
Now, onto the festivities. At PBSC, we believe bike sharing is good for people, cities, and the planet, so we’re excited to see Bike Chattanooga celebrate a decade of amazing success with  events including a free ride day and a CYCLEdelic group ride that took place July 28, along with a ceremony that brought together city officials and partners.

“As bike share pioneers, all of us at PBSC Urban Solutions are pleased with our ongoing 
partnership with Bike Chattanooga and Shift Transit, as this system grows. Bike Chattanooga remains a great example of how our customized bike sharing solutions can improve a city’s public transit and put a smile on people’s faces,” says Gian Carlo Crivello, Chief Relationship Officer of PBSC.
 
“The Shift Transit team couldn’t be more inspired by Bike Chattanooga’s 10th birthday, and by our long-standing partnership with PBSC that continues to flourish,” says Heili Toome, Chief Marketing Officer of Shift Transit. “We look forward to the system’s next expansion as we integrate more PBSC e-bikes to meet the transportation needs of commuters and tourists.” 

4 Types of PBSC Bikes and E-Bikes in One System

PBSC’s customized urban solutions lead the global bike share movement with sustainable systems built on smart technologies, engineering and design. Bike Chattanooga is a unique PBSC bike share system in that it has all 4 of our bike styles. Each with a different personality, all of premium quality: 
 
With a lightweight aluminum frame, the tried-and-true ICONIC lives up to its reputation as a robust and reliable industry icon. Trusted by systems around the world, cyclists adore its friendly features. The FIT, meanwhile, has all the ICONIC’s quality and grace but is smaller and lighter, delighting users with a swift, dynamic ride that’s easy to maneuver. 
 
As for our 2 styles of PBSC e-bikes, both these pedal-assist electric bikes are Bike Chattanooga sensations — perfect for this city’s hilly landscapes, as Bike Chattanooga attests! The BOOST can be seen as an electrified ICONIC, featuring a speed of up to 32 km/h (20 mph); a battery with 60 km (37,3 mph) of autonomy; and a 250W central motor. Likewise, the E-FIT is an e-bike remix of the FIT. With best-in-class ergonomic design, the peppy E-FIT offers three speeds to choose from. Its battery autonomy lasts up to 70 km (43,5 mph), and it’s outfitted with a 250-watt Brose motor and 24-inch wheels.

In fact, Chattanooga electric bikes, according to The Chattanoogan, are used about 4 times more than our regular bikes. This reflects their global popularity; out of more than 500 million trips taken worldwide on PBSC bikes to date, 14 million of them were on our e-bikes.
 
And that’s not all. Placing smart stations near transit stops will help offer people easier access to different neighbourhoods. Happiest of birthdays to Bike Chattanooga on ten years of happy, healthy bike share success that keeps getting better with age. Wishing you many more decades of sustainable success!