It began in 2015 at a single location with the opening of the new Princeton Train Station (Dinky Line Shuttle),Princeton Bike Share is a joint project between Princeton University and the Municipality of Princeton. There are now 15 stations with nearly 100 bicycles in the system.
The system is managed by Zagster. A bike share company that manages more than 140 systems in the United States, including the Montgomery County Trails system (public) and West Chester University open to people affiliated with the University.
Zagster maintains 140 dock-less bike share systems in the US. Dock-less systems operate at a lower cost because the system uses less computer hardware. Zagster also owns and manages the system reducing the upfront purchase costs. Zagsters bike racks and bikes are more like the off the shelf products.
Most of the brains of the system is located in the app that activates a code to open a lockbox on the bikes. The lockbox contains the key for a standard ULock that is tethered to the bike.
Next week the NJ Bike and Walk Coalition will be hosting the NJ Bike and Walk Summit at the Friend Center for Engineering Education on the Princeton University City Campus. The expanded bike share program will enable attendees who arrive by train to rent a bike for the last leg of their trip.
To learn more about Princeton Bike Share go the program’s website.