The new BIKETOWN system is here and there's a lot to be excited about.
Q: Are you ready to ride the new BIKETOWN ebikes?
A: Make sure the phone number on your BIKETOWN account is the same as the phone number on your Lyft account and update your BIKETOWN app to the newest version.
If you don’t have a Lyft account you will be able to sign up for a new Annual Membership or Pay-As-You-Go plan at: www.biketownpdx.com
Q: I already signed up to be an annual member. Do I have to buy a whole new membership?
A: No, your current membership will still work. You should have received an email with next steps for your account. If you paid upfront and still have months remaining on a membership, you’ll get those months extended onto your new membership. If you have a pre-loaded cash balance on your account that balance will also be migrated. However, “BIKETOWN Bonus” rebalancing credits (for returning a bike to a dock) and promo code balances will not transfer.
If you already have a Lyft account, that membership will be transferred automatically as long as your current BIKETOWN phone number on file matches your Lyft app phone number. If you don’t, you’ll get an email with instructions about registering with the new BIKETOWN platform and then we’ll be able to extend your membership once you take that step.
Q: What if I have a membership through my work or school?
A: In most cases, Corporate and Student plan members are not able to be transferred until their program agreements are renewed. Contact your HR or student services department for details. If your company pre-paid for your entire membership cost, that membership will be extended automatically for the remaining months you’re owed.
Q: Is it true that 16 year olds are allowed to ride now?
A: Yes! We’re lowering the minimum age to 16. There will be a way for 16 and 17 year olds to verify age when they sign up.
Q: What else do we need to know?
Annual Member pricing is:
$99/year
$0.10/minute
No unlock fees
$1 Credits earned for returning bikes locked away from a station, or bringing bikes to a station low on bikes need to be used by September 8th. This includes BIKETOWN Bonus credits. They will NOT transfer.
Any funds that you previously loaded onto your account via credit or debit card will be transferred automatically to your new account.
Out of hub bikes will not have a $1 return credit at the launch of the new system. A new incentive program is in the works for 2021.
Super Hub Zones have changed. The only Super Hub Zone is the new service area east of 72nd Ave. (The Central Eastside Industrial District and Portland State University will no longer be Super Hub Zones.)
Pay Per Minute is the alternative to an annual membership. Each trip will begin with a $1 unlock fee and then it’s just $0.20/minute for the duration of your trip. Annual, corporate, student and low-income plans will also have a per minute fee but will waive the $1 unlock fee.
Out of Hub / Out of Service Area fees remain. “Out Of Hub” parking is $1 when you lock to a bike rack in the service area. Parking “Out Of Service Area” will incur a $25 fee. Improper Parking which includes locking a bike only to itself, to staircases, bridges, and Trimet property, as well as any bikes left blocking crosswalks and sidewalks will result in a $25 fee after a warning.
Unredeemed promo codes have expired as of September 8th, 2020.
If you have an old BIKETOWN key card please know that it does not unlock the new ebikes.
Q: What about BIKETOWN For All?
A: BIKETOWN For All isn’t going away. In fact, members get a $20 credit on their accounts each month to cover ebike minute fees ($0.05/minute) for a limited time. Credits renew each month but do not carry over. There is be no $1 unlock fees for these members.
If you have further questions, please reach out to biketownforall@lyft.com.
Note: BIKETOWN For All members should provide a mailing address to get a new BIKETOWN card that can unlock the new ebikes without a smartphone. Email: biketownforall@lyft.com to provide your mailing address.
Q: I heard there’s going to be new BIKETOWN ebikes. When are they coming?
A: They're here! The entire BIKETOWN system is ebikes. 1500 new ebikes hit the streets in September (with even more to come in the next few years). They have electric pedal assist, so you still have to pedal but when you do, the electric motor gives you a boost so you can go faster and get up hills and bridges more easily.
Q: Are there more stations?
A: Yes! We’re adding many new stations over the next few years, starting with 30 this year. The service area where you can lock a bike is growing by 13 square miles this year, mostly into East Portland (to 117th Ave. at the furthest point and down to Foster).
Q: Do the new bikes cost the same to ride as the old BIKETOWN?
A: The annual membership is still just $99, but there’s also a $0.10/minute fee (discounted for members from $0.20/minute) while you’re riding (to help offset the increased costs of operating ebikes).
If you don’t want an annual membership, you’ll pay $1 to unlock the bike and $0.20/minute while you’re riding. We no longer have the Month-to-Month plan.
Q: Is there a new app?
A: Yes! Make sure you have turned on automatic updates to get the new BIKETOWN app. Otherwise, update your app to access ebikes. You’ll also be able to rent BIKETOWN bikes from the Lyft app by clicking the bike icon at the bottom of the app.
NOTE: If you do not already have a Lyft account, you will have to re-register in the BIKETOWN app in order to ride the ebikes. If you do have a Lyft account currently and the phone number in your Lyft account matches the phone number in your current BIKETOWN account, your account information will automatically be populated into the new BIKETOWN app and you'll be able to ride right away.
Q: Do the new bikes have locks on them?
A: Yes, instead of the removable U-lock like the bikes have now, there is a heavy duty cable lock attached to the rear fender that you loop around a rack and lock back into the bike.
Q: Do the new bikes have keypads?
A: No more keypads! You’ll be able to unlock the bike very quickly using the new BIKETOWN app or the Lyft app (by scanning a QR code).
Q: What are you going to do with the old bikes?
A: They belong to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, who is committed to trying to find the highest use for them.
Q: BIKETOWN is now owned by Lyft?
A: Lyft has been part of the current system and owns the bikes in the next system. You’ll be able to see the new bikes in the Lyft app and you can get transit directions in the app as well.
Q: So, are the bikes still orange?
A: The bikes are still be orange, and Nike is still the title sponsor of the system, so it is still be called BIKETOWN!
Q: When I signed up for an annual membership I didn’t want to pay per minute to ride.
A: We’re sorry to hear your frustration. We think you’ll love riding our new ebikes and will want to keep taking advantage of our annual member pricing of $0.10/minute - half the price of the usual per minute rate, and no $1 unlocking fees.
If you’ve paid upfront for an annual account, we will be transferring your membership into our new platform and the remaining months on your plan will carry over at no additional membership charge. If at that point you decide you do not want to continue your membership, you may request a pro-rated refund of your remaining time on the plan. If you continue to ride BIKETOWN after that point, the standard rate will apply: $1 to unlock and $0.20/minute to ride.
