The Houston BCycle bike sharing program has announced that it will be shutting down its service on June 30 after operating for 12 years.
The service started back in 2012, when the City of Houston began a contractual agreement with Houston Bike Share. The bikes were funded by a grant from former Houston Mayor Annise Parker’s Office of Sustainability through the Environmental Protection Agency.
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The program started with just 18 bicycles across three stations in Downtown Houston, and eventually grew to over 150 stations. Despite such rapid expansion, the company announced plans to shut down back in September of 2023. Houston City Council approved a $500,000 lifeline to keep the company afloat for nine months, but it was still unable to overcome its financial woes.
“Bike share systems across the United States have experienced similar challenges,” Jennifer Ostlind, Houston’s Interim Director of Planning and Development said. “Houston’s system has outlived many others, but we have learned that successful systems that serve more than just recreational purposes require corporate and public support to remain viable.”
The city is working with Houston Bike Share to remove the BCycle stations and bikes over the coming months.