The Roam New River Valley bike share officially hits the streets July 20 and partner localities are planning an official kick-off event and ceremonial ride on the Huckleberry Trail from the New River Valley Mall to downtown Blacksburg on Aug. 1.
The event will kick off near the trail entrance behind Kohl’s in Christiansburg at 10 a.m. and conclude at Blacksburg’s Market Square Park with light refreshments and closing remarks at noon.
Participants wishing to ride a Roam NRV bike must be 16 years of age or older and may choose to ride to the Merrimac Road trailhead (approximately 1.8 miles) or make the full ride to Miller Street in Blacksburg and then on to Market Square Park (approximately seven miles).
Shuttle transportation will be provided from Merrimac Road and Market Square Park back to the New River Valley Mall.
Individuals wishing to ride only to Merrimac are invited to drive to the Miller Street trailhead to join participants for the final short ride to Market Square Park. Bikes will be available at Miller Street and there will be free parking in the Harrell Street lot.
To ride a Roam NRV bike during the ceremonial event, contact Christiansburg Public Relations Director Melissa Demmitt at (540) 382-6128, ext. 1150 or mdemmitt@christiansburg.org to reserve a bike.
While there is no charge for the event, there’s a limited supply of bikes for the day, so the community is also encouraged to bring their own bicycles to join along in the ride.
The Towns of Christiansburg and Blacksburg, Montgomery County and Virginia Tech teamed up with private mobility company Gotcha and local bike shop Bike Barn, to bring the bike share system to the area.
Roam NRV, operated by Gotcha and administered by Blacksburg Transit, will begin with 12 hubs and 75 bikes distributed across the towns, and university campus.
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation is supporting the program with start-up funding of $200,000, along with $50,000 in matching funds from the local participating partners.
It is anticipated that ongoing operational costs will come from a combination of grant funds, local funds from the partners, bike share memberships, and sponsorships.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to offer our region yet another option for alternative transportation,” said Blacksburg Transit Director Tom Fox. “Not only is a bike share program an environmentally sound solution, but it speaks to the quality of life in our communities and meets the needs of our citizens and visitors alike.”
Around the world, the bike-sharing phenomenon has received increasing attention as the answer to affordable, accessible, and environmentally conscious public transportation. Bike shares deliver a variety of mobility, economic, health, and safety benefits as well.
It’s as easy as finding an orange Roam NRV bike at one of the 12 hubs, deciding how long you’d like to ride, paying by credit card, and hitting the road. Take a quick 15 minute spin for $1; ride an hour for $4; sign up for
unlimited access in a 24-hour period for $10 or get really serious and sign up for a $20 monthly or $60 annual membership.
Bicycle reservations and rentals can be made via a smartphone app, or online at http://gotchabike.com/roamnrv/.
