Low Income Bikeshare Program

About the Program

Category: Transportation (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

Using a combination of resources from a Federal grant, County financial and administrative sources, contributions from a local municipality, and coordination and support from a number of County agencies and other non-profit organizations, the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Transportation created a special bikeshare program to serve low income individuals living, working or attending job training/education in the County. In addition to implementing a bikeshare station network designed to serve low income participants, the program provided those participants with bikeshare memberships, bike helmets, bike safety training classes, and a limited amount of bikeshare usage fees on an as-needed basis – all at no cost and without requiring credit or use of a credit card. The program was very successful, establishing a network of 21 bikeshare stations and enrolling over 200 low income participants. The County’s program was unique in the U.S. in two respects: No other jurisdiction had undertaken a comprehensive bikeshare program specifically targeted at low-income riders, and no other jurisdiction had implemented bikeshare in a suburban setting, outside the urban core. Montgomery County has extended this program for low income bikeshare participants, known as MCLiberty, and is continuing to enroll participants after the conclusion of the Federal grant.