Communities In Schools Of PA Launches Harrisburg Bike Share Program Oct. 5

Harrisburg Bike Share will launch its new program, sponsored by Highmark Blue Shield, that will provide all Harrisburg residents and visitors with a convenient, affordable and healthy way to get around town starting October 5.

Ninety-three percent of all proceeds will directly benefit local nonprofit, Communities In Schools of Pennsylvania (CISPA), a dropout prevention organization serving nearly 50,000 students and their families.

“The Harrisburg Bike Share program is a community-wide effort to create a more cohesive city based on opportunity and growth,” said Ryan Riley, President and State Director of Communities In Schools of Pennsylvania. “Our organization serves students in and out of schools by providing the necessary resources for success. In a sense, we are doing the same for our city, and it will allow us to continue to help those children who are most in need.”

Program sponsors include the Dauphin County Commissioners, Strawberry Square, Harrisburg University and Harrisburg Young Professionals.

“We are very proud to be a part of this initiative. We believe many of our local citizens will enjoy the benefits of the program,” said Kathleen McKenzie, Vice President of Community Affairs for Highmark Blue Shield. “We have a long history of working with the City of Harrisburg, Dauphin County and many others that are here today.”

CISPA will outsource bike share operations through Zagster, a national bike share provider that powers more than 200 programs in 35 states. 55 Zagster cruiser bikes will be available at 11 stations. An annual membership costs $25.

Pay as you go memberships cost $2 per hour for up to $20 per ride. Riders will be charged an additional overtime fee for keeping bikes over 24 hours.

Zagster makes it easy to grab a bike and go. Riders can view stations and bikes in the free Zagster app, available on the App Store and Google Play, or online. One tap in the app automatically unlocks the ring lock on the rear wheel, allowing a rider to get rolling in seconds.

After the rider returns the bike to a designated Zagster bike station, the rental ends and the bike is available for the next person to enjoy.

The program will be announced at a press conference October 5 at 11:00 a.m. in Strawberry Square, Harrisburg.

For more information, visit the Harrisburg Bike Share webpage.  Questions should be directed to Jenna Lewis, Vice President, Communities in Schools of PA by calling 717-645-6696 or send email to: jenna@cisofpa.org.