2019 Annual Report

WE-cycle

Connecting People to Place

WE are the Roaring Fork Valley’s, community-supported, not for profit bikeshare service. WE inspire connections… between the people who live and visit, between riders and sponsors, between the places where we live and work and socialize, between the community and our surroundings, between bikes and buses, between our health and our environmental stewardship.

WE are part of a community-wide shift that wants to alleviate the emotional and environmental burdens of traffic congestion. Our 49 stations and 210 bikes create a network of connectivity that allows WE-cyclers to be pedaling participants in our valley-wide journey towards low-carbon and high-impact transportation.

People

WE’re WE-cyclers

WE are locals and visitors, first-time riders and avid bike commuters, Millennials and Baby Boomers, Festival attendees and Music Students. WE work in hospitality and government, restaurants and schools, retail and the arts, businesses and not for profits. Be it daily, weekly, or on occasion, WE-cycle is a valued and relied-upon connector in people’s lives.

6,247

UNIQUE RIDERS

75%

RODE > 10 TIMES

62%

ROARING FORK VALLEY ZIP CODES

511

RIDES BY TOP WE-CYCLER

“I gave up my car to explore and support city initiatives, like WE-cycle. People were so surprised and they would tell me why they couldn’t and I would tell them why WE could.”
— Megan, 2019 Rider

Places

Creating a Network

While WE-cycle only serves two distinct places, Aspen +  Basalt | Willits | El Jebel, it’s inherent value lies in the offering of 1,205 distinct station to station connections. WE-cycle stations become waypoints on a map, and hubs for quick, spontaneous trips where you want to go and when you want to go.

AT A GLANCE

58,707

TOTAL RIDES

174 day season, May 8 – October 29, ~ 67,216 miles pedaled.

337

RIDES / DAY

Busiest day of the year: June 28th with 780 system-wide rides. 

9 minutes

AVERAGE RIDE TIME

Riders are destination focused, 3% of rides exceeded 30 minutes.

67,216 lbs

EMISSIONS OFFSET

Each mile pedaled offsets about 1 lb of carbon emissions, per calculations. 

ASPEN

44,969

RIDES

23

STATIONS

398

TO + FROM CONNECTIONS

258

rides/day

TOP 5

ASPEN STATIONS

• CP Burger | Rubey Park
• Hopkins Mill
• Benedict Music Tent
• Aspen Meadows
• Cooper | Original

“I enjoyed Aspen so much by commuting on WE-cycle. For me, working two jobs makes it a wonderful tool to bike from one place to another. Definitely, WE-cycle has helped me see Aspen with a more joyful perspective and also to become even more productive in my daily routine.”
— Pablo, 2019 Rider

BASALT

13,738

total RIDES

26

STATIONS

351

TO + FROM CONNECTIONS

79

rides/day

TOP 5

BASALT STATIONS

• Basalt Upvalley
• Basalt Downvalley
• School | Devon
• Sopris View
• Two Leaves and a Bud

“I saw someone riding from the Basalt Park and Ride into town and realized that THAT’S what I could use WE-cycle for.” 
— 2019 Rider

Connectivity

A First | Last Mile Solution

Bike to bus connections are bridging the first | last mile in our local transportation network creating a multi-modal ecosystem. WE-cycle the first mile, RFTA the long-haul, and hop on a WE-cycle for the final leg… and perhaps back again. WE-cycle is a dynamic solution as a complement to fixed transportation routes and provides free public transit in areas with no bus service.

“My commute to work I didn’t like
From the BRT to the office was a hike
But long walks are in the past
As now I go fast
As I commute on a WE-cycle bike.”
— 2019 Rider

1,046

MORNING CHECKOUTS IN ASPEN

35%

CHECKOUTS FROM BRT STOPS

3,566 of rides between 5am – 10am originated at WE-cycle Stations at RFTA BRT Stops.

8th STREET

A MULTI-MODAL HUB

Accounting for 15% of morning checkouts. Riders hop off of RFTA and WE-cycle the last mile of their commute.

50%

VALLEY-WIDE PATTERN

WE-cycle rides, in both Aspen and Basalt, that originated or ended at a RFTA BRT stop.

“I love that WE-cycle provides the first-and last-mile solution I need in order to be able to take the bus to work and ditch my car at home. I appreciate that WE-cycle + RFTA make it really easy (and fun!) for me and others in the valley to walk the talk (or rather, ride it!).”
— Emily, 2019 Rider

LEAVE THE CAR AT HOME

FACILITATING MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION

By centralizing information and access points, WE make it fast and easy to use different modes of travel. With the app Transit, riders can checkout WE-cycles and see live-time RFTA bus schedules. With the RFTA Seasonal Zone Pass, riders can board the bus and checkout a WE-cycle with one card.

74%

Of riders used Transit to access a WE-cycle.

65%

Of riders use Transit for WE-cycle and to check RFTA bus schedules, per survey.  

66%

Of riders think it’s very — to extremely — important to access the valley’s transportation options in one app, per survey.

1,575

WE-cycle rides initiated with a RFTA Zone Pass.

Fare-Free Mobility

Option-Oriented Transit

Pioneering a fare-free bikeshare model in 2018, WE-cycle empowers riders to leave their cars at home and participate in a number of valley-wide transportation modes. WE provide commitment-free and on-demand access to bikes to support local mobility and connect riders to regional mobility. Short, one-way trips promote active choice, variety, and rider well-being: the result is the ability to commute on your own time.

BIKESHARE + SMART CITIES

TD BANK GROUP features WE-cycle and its bikeshare provider, PBSC Urban Solutions, Inc, in showcasing how partnerships bring green infrastructure to fruition.

TOP 3 REASONS WE-CYCLERS RIDE

#1 – ONE-WAY TRIPS

Flexible, one-way trips mean that riders have the choice to bus, bike, walk, carpool, Downtowner, or car share in addition to WE-cycling: it’s a nimble solution for active lifestyles.

#2 – SKIP TRAFFIC

WE-cyclers avoid bumper to bumper traffic and simultaneously improve local congestion, pollution and stress: it’s about shifting gears and emphasizing the reasons why WE bike commute.

#3 – SAVE TIME

Biking is often a faster and more direct route to one’s destination. With stations conveniently-located in the center of towns, there’s no need to circle for parking: WE-cycle gives you precious time back in your day.

“My bike stays in the town where I live. I use WE-cycle in the town where I work.”
— 2019 Rider

78% of these bike owners use WE-cycle because they can take one way trips, per survey.

Inclusivity

Movimiento en Bici

WE’re committed to the Roaring Fork Valley’s Latinx community’s equitable access to WE-cycle in ensuring stations connect neighborhoods, transit, and commerce and by reducing language and skill barriers as points of entry. Spanish-speaking ambassadors offered one-on-one sign-ups, Learn to Ride classes, and group rides.  For some, lives were changed in discovering the independence, opportunities, and joy created by riding a bicycle.

1

grantor

Better Bike Share Partnership, annual grantor of Movimiento en Bici since its founding in 2016.

8

EVENTS

9

partners

Hosted in Basalt, El Jebel, Carbondale in collaboration with various local partners. 

5

first time on a bike!

55

PARTICIPANTS

922

PARTICIPANT RIDES

“Estoy feliz! I learned to ride a bike five minutes ago and now, look at me!”  
— Sylvia, 2019 Movimiento en Bici participant

Impact

The WE-cycle Factor

A recent study indicates that 1/3 of all peak hour traffic in Aspen is caused by short, in-town trips. According to national data, approximately 40% of all personal car trips are two miles or less in length. Collectively, this brief, locally-based travel is leading to traffic congestion and eroding the quality of life in our communities. WE-cycle responds directly to these two factors and gives riders a car-free alternative for their brief, in and around town connections.

1.15 miles

AVERAGE WE-CYCLE TRIP DISTANCE

Calculated per ride data.

45%

CAR TRiP REPLACEMENT

WE-cycle rides that would have otherwise been in a car, per survey. 

74%

IN + AROUND TOWN TRAVEL

Riders who use WE-cycle for intra-town travel, per survey.

26,418

CAR TRIPS AVOIDED

Calculation based on total WE-cycle rides and rider reported car trip replacement. 

Spokes-people

Mission-Inspired Individuals

WE are not afraid to get our hands dirty, or greasy in most cases: our job is to get as many people riding bikes as possible. As individuals WE road bike, mountain bike and ride or WE-cycle to work. It’s through our collective participation in WE-cycle’s mission that WE find the inspiration to connect riders with the conveniences of bikeshare.

“Bikeshare is important not only as a means of alternative transportation but also because it helps bring people together via bikes. Commuting, rideshare, busses are all important to reduce single-occupancy vehicle traffic.” 
— Luke DeMuth, rolling WE-cycle forward since 2016

17,935

bikes re-balanced

WE put in the miles to redistribute bikes. Uphill stations, like Aspen Valley Hospital, see 146% more checkouts than returns.

71%

balanced by bike in Aspen

596

sponsor decals affixed

807,075

pounds lifted

91%

excellent customer support, or didn’t need help

Rider rating, per survey.

WE-CYCLE TEAM

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Sponsors + Partners

Community-Supported Bikeshare

Locally-based businesses, organizations, non-profits, and donors generously support annual operations and underwrite the 30-minute fare-free rides. Sponsors are showcased on bikes and stations and become part of the town’s mobile landscape. Our partners help us to engage with the community and make lasting connections with riders.

THANK YOU GENEROUS SUPPORTERS

Founding Partners

Fare-Free Underwriters

System-Wide Title Sponsor

System-Wide Sponsors

Aspen System Sponsors

Basalt System Sponsors

In-Kind Partners

Grantors

Donors

Thank you to the 116 rider-donors, family foundations, and general donors.

Movimiento en Bici Partners

Better Bike Share Partnership • English in Action • Valley Settlement Project • Crawford Properties • Roaring Fork Cycling • Roaring Fork School District • St Vincent Catholic Church • The Orchard Church • The Gant • Wilderness Workshop

Bikeshare Infrastructure and Technology Partners

Memberships

Income + Expenses

System-Wide Operating Snapshot

On the surface, WE-cycle is a public and privately-funded transportation service. Take a ride and it’s easy to connect the dots that the benefits extend far beyond a fare-free bike ride. Investment into bikeshare establishes a baseline for equitable transportation and spotlights the community’s buy-into a vibrant bike culture: a resounding proof of concept even for those who own a bike or a car.

Public — 68%

Private — 32%

Expenses

WE thank the 25,373 WE-CYCLERS who have collectively completed 253,677 RIDES since WE-cycle debuted in 2013.

THANK YOU

Connecting the Community

WE’re grateful to all whose dedication, passion, and creativity over the last 7 years have helped grow WE-cycle into a valued and relied upon connector within the Roaring Fork Valley. WE-cycle is fundamentally about WE: bikeshare creates uplifting individual experiences for ubiquitous transportation goals. Together, let’s continue to Ride the Movement.