Marion County residents can now ride Pacers Bikeshare bikes for free, thanks to a partnership among the city of Indianapolis, the Herbert Simon Family Foundation and Pacers Sports & Entertainment.
“IndyRides Free” allows residents who have registered through the BCycle app to have unlimited, 30-minute trips on both classic and e-bikes. Indianapolis is the first city in the nation to offer a free bikeshare program, a change that comes 10 years after the Pacers Bikeshare program began.
The public is invited to a celebration 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 10, at the Indianapolis Cultural Trail headquarters, 132 W. Walnut St. The first 100 Marion County residents to bring a valid photo ID will be able to register for their IndyRides Free pass.
The event will also include a demonstration of the new fleet of e-bikes, which can reach 15 m.p.h. To register online for a pass, click here.
In addition to the free program, 325 new e-bikes have been added to the city thanks to a $1.2 million Construction Mitigation and Air Quality federal grant, along with funds from the city.
At a May 9 press conference at Bicentennial Unity Plaza, local leaders touted the plan — which started as a pilot program last summer — as a way to reduce traffic, cut back air pollution and help residents stay healthy and connected to their community.
DeAmon Harges, a resident of the Mapleton Fall Creek neighborhood on the northside, said the program is especially important for families without cars, who can now bike to community hubs such as the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Fountain Square and the Indiana State Museum.
“This is a way people can get to work, school or just hang out,” Harges said at Bicentennial Unity Plaza.
Indianapolis leaders also hope the program can improve cyclist and pedestrian safety by making drivers more empathetic and aware.
“More bikes almost always will turn into fewer cars,” said City-County Councilman Jesse Brown, who represents district 13 on the east side and who rides an e-bike as his main form of transportation. “Generally, I think once you’ve been on a bike and see what it feels like to have someone pass you with only a foot, you stop doing that when you see bicyclists on the road when you’re back to being a driver.”
According to Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis, which started tracking car wrecks involving cyclists and pedestrians in May 2022, April 2024 saw the highest number of crashes since the group’s inception.
A total of 77 crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists occurred last month and five were fatal. So far in 2024, Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis has logged 273 crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists, an increase of 100 incidents over this time last year.
Mirror Indy reporter Breanna Cooper covers arts and culture. Email her at breanna.cooper@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @BreannaNCooper.