New Jersey’s first e-bike share launched Dec. 22 in Newark as part of the ongoing NewarkGo bikeshare program with Bird bikes.
NewarkGo is a six month pilot program designed to support key goals of Mayor Ras Baraka’s Newark Forward agenda, allowing Newarkers and visitors to navigate the city on two wheels instead of four.
The addition of e-bikes to the NewarkGo fleet comes at a time when the popularity of e-bikes isn’t slowing down, as sales of the machines outpace those of electric cars, according to numbers reported by the New York Times in November. Deloitte projected that 130 million e-bikes will be sold worldwide between 2020 and 2023.
“We are thrilled that the NewarkGo program will include Bird bikes. The bikeshare program will reach an even larger demographic of Newark riders, as well as further our state-wide mission to promote bicycling and connect our communities with a smarter, safer, and greener transportation system, while making the healthy choice, the easy choice,” said Paul Mickiewicz, bike education coordinator for the New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition, in a prepared statement.
Bird is already part of the NewarkGo program with its e-scooters.
The Bird e-bike has a high powered e-assist motor to help riders coast up hills with up to a 20% grade. Riders can go up to 56 miles on a single charge, and geofence technology slows or stops the motor in designated areas. Additionally, the e-bikes have dual hand brakes, and advanced onboard diagnostics to automatically monitor and report vehicle health.
