CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) -- A plan to bring a $570,000 bike sharing program to Cedar Rapids is moving forward.
Current city plans have the hubs set up at Cedar Lake, the Medical District, Downtown, the NewBo District, Czech Village, and in Kingston Village.
During Tuesday's city council meeting Jennifer Pratt spoke about the plan to give people the opportunity to ride the bikes from one location and leave them at another.
"I think this is one of those things that we don't get to do this often but adding something fun back into our community," Ashley Vanorny, District 5 council member said. "It allows that opportunity especially for people downtown to commute without having to depend on a car."
Once the program is completed the city also discussed creating a bike tour of the city to use the rideshare program for tourism as well as a way for locals to utilize the program if they don't have a vehicle.
District 4 council member Scott Olson said he thinks it will be good to tie the program with the transportation system, allowing people to get the few extra blocks they might need that the bus route doesn't take.
Costs for riders who use the bike share program are still being discussed.
During the meeting, council members also talked about a two-year sponsorship program to help raise funds for the program. They hope to launch it later this fall.
By winter the city hopes to have the operations vendor and equipment for the program selected.
The projected date to begin the program in Cedar Rapids is spring or summer 2019.