B-cycle bike stations have been popping up around Fort Worth. They can be found in parks and other locations including the convention center, hotels, art museums, and well trafficked local intersections.
These stations are all connected to a local non-profit called Fort Worth Bike Sharing. Bike sharing is a fairly new transportation concept based on shared use of public bicycles. It has been successfully implemented in cities like San Antonio, Denver and Washington D.C.; and it’s taken off in Fort Worth too.
Range Resources is a proud partner and supporter of the bike sharing non-profit who promotes biking, a healthy, smart, simple mode of transportation.
“It’s an opportunity to help integrate visitors to the city and it’s good for overall wellness,” says Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Roger Manny. “The tourists love it. It was originally meant more for commuters but it’s been good for both groups.”
Range has three “adopted” bike stations in downtown Fort Worth, with signage that lets users and organizers know that Range supports their efforts. And for Fort Worth bikers – bike sharing is a welcome new means of getting around town.
Here’s how it works: first – interested riders purchase a membership on-line or at a B-cycle station. Once a member receives his or her B-card membership card – it can be used at one of the many bike share docking stations located throughout the city. Bike-sharing members can unlock any of the specially designed bikes at any station, ride to their destination, and then return the bike to any docking station in the city. Members can also take advantage of participating bike-sharing programs in many other U.S. cities as well.
The bikes are tracked with GPS (global positioning system) and RFID (radio frequency identification). And in addition to tracking location – information like distance, duration and calories burned is also recorded for each user. Members can track their information on personal web pages created for them at fortworth.bcycle.com And now – the organization is partnering with local restaurants – offering discounts to B-cycle riders.
Tim Halden is the Sales Manager at Fort Worth Bike Sharing, and stresses the importance of corporate support. “Fifty percent of our operating income comes from people using our system, the other fifty percent comes in the form of community sponsorships and advertising sales. Without partners like Range Resources, we would be out of business,” says Halden.
Range is a regular supporter of many different non-profit organizations; all of which are working, in different ways, to better people’s lives. In Fort Worth, supporting the bike share circles back to an important corporate responsibility for Range: being an active community partner and providing educational opportunities, volunteer hours and philanthropic contributions to support health, education, safety and other important civic efforts.
Read More About Range’s Community Engagement & Leadership and Corporate Giving efforts in the Corporate Responsibilityreport.