MADISON, Wis. (BRAIN) — Bicycle Transit Systems and BCycle have agreed to a strategic alliance to offer bike share operations and equipment. Trek Bicycle — BCycle's owner — has made an equity investment in Bicycle Transit Systems as part of the alliance.
Philadelphia-based Bicycle Transit Systems, commonly called Bike Transit, offers bike share equipment and operation services, while BCycle offers bike-share systems, including the bikes themselves. The two companies have worked together on four bike share programs since last year, including the programs in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Oklahoma City.
"I am elated to cement this relationship with BCycle and Trek, as we are both best-in-class bike share service providers, and committed to creating an optimal bike share customer experience," said Alison Cohen, the president and CEO of Bicycle Transit Systems. "I am proud to team with BCycle, a company with strong financial stability, highly professional operations and people who share our key values of under-promising, over-delivering and acting with integrity, honesty and kindness in all dealings."
This transaction will allow the two companies to offer communities in the US and internationally world-class, premium bike share operations, equipment, software and service. Trek's investment ensures financial stability for the company, as well as the ability to rapidly expand current systems and launch new systems.
"We are committed to finding additional ways for even more communities to introduce bike share to their residents and visitors," said BCycle's president, Bob Burns. "Bike Transit's proven leadership in bike share operations is undeniable. Our experience with them has been extremely positive, and we can't wait to work together to offer even more communities an integrated bike share ecosystem that furthers the bicycle's – and bike share's – role in public transit."
The strategic alliance allows for collaborative product development and operations with the goal of offering communities "one-stop shopping" the comapnioes said. BCycle will provide the hardware and software while Bike Transit will provide full-service operations.
BCycle currently has more than 1,290 stations and 11,000 bikes on the ground in 43 communities in North and South America, while Bike Transit operates bike share programs in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City and Las Vegas.
