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Matt Vs. IndeGo/ Philly Bike Share.




Over the last decade, the bicycle riding scene in Philadelphia has been growing leaps and bounds. This has paralleled the rise of neighborhoods such as Fishtown that are near adjacent to Center City Philadelphia. Philadelphia tight grid street layout and system of bike lanes makes bicycling a rather convenient mode of travel. Last April, Philadelphia deepened its relationship with biking culture with the launch of its bike share program called Indego.

Indego is the newest bike share program created by a partnership between the City of  Philadelphia and Independence Blue Cross. The program features many stations spread across Central Philadelphia where riders can rent out bikes using either cash or credit cards. When I was in Washington, DC I was sorely attempted to test their bike share program but could not due to time constraints. When IndeGo Bike Share opened Philadelphia I jumped at the chance to give it a go.


The ride itself was rather smooth but it was hard to adjust for the weight of the bike. The bike includes lights for night riding and large metal baskets Its frame. is well built and the bike can take the Philly streets rather efficiently. However I would be wary of riding on cobblestones. To use the Bike share there are several options. A rider can rent  a bike for $ per half hour for a quick trip or buy a membership which allows for unlimited 30 minute rides for $15 a month. Simply pay with cash or a credit card at a station, unlock a bike an ride. After a ride, be sure to dock the bike at an available station. The stations themselves are bright blue ans mostly distributed in Center City Philadelphia, with a few other stations in South Philly and Northern Liberties. The limited coverage of stations is a clear drawback to the bike share program in combination with the time limits. The program has been convenient for me multiple times but is ultimately more of an excursion than a primary mode of transportation.

 Overall IndeGo Bike share was a positive experience and I look forward to see how the service evolves in the future. 
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