Brightline, the only provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity rail in America, along with Micromobility Management, The Related Companies and the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority are excited to announce the approval of Brightline’s new integrated bikeshare program, BrightBike. The program will be a fully dock-based system with pedal-powered BrightBikes placed in up to 17 locations with 170 BrightBikes throughout downtown West Palm Beach in its first phase of launch.
“Brightline is excited to add BrightBikes to our fleet of eco-friendly mobility options, making it easier than ever to access our station or the many destinations around West Palm,” said Jonathan Hopkins, vice president of mobility at Brightline. “Together with our great partners we are expanding access to transportation and encouraging people to live a car-free lifestyle.”
BrightBike was unanimously approved at the November 15 City of West Palm Beach commission meeting. Upon its launch in the coming months, BrightBike will be part of Brightline+, Brightline’s new door-to-door service powered by its app and supported by a fleet of Brightline branded vehicles. The new bikeshare program will be included in the multimodal trip planning and booking experience that includes train service, local transit, and ridesharing.
“We are excited to partner with Brightline, The Related Companies, and the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority to bring BrightBike to the City of West Palm Beach,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James. “BrightBike will expand the transit options offered by the city, improve mobility, and connect users with other transportation methods. BrightBike will greatly benefit residents and visitors, while adding to the livability, safety, and sustainability of our city.”
BrightBike will be sponsored by Brightline, The Related Companies, and the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority, with Brightline as the title sponsor. Residents can sign up for monthly unlimited-rides membership for $15, and visitors can rent a BrightBike by the hour or day. Thanks to a membership reciprocity program, BrightBike members will enjoy seamless access to Citibike in the Miami area, and Citibike members will have access to BrightBike in West Palm Beach.
Bikes will feature a rugged aluminum frame that is corrosion resistant with front and rear LED lights and front basket; helmets are strongly encouraged. Over the course of the program, electric bicycles will be added, and there will be opportunities for additional station locations. Micromobility Management, started by two of the founders and operators of Citibike in Miami and Miami Beach, will operate and maintain the bikeshare system.
“We are thrilled to bring the BrightBike share program to West Palm Beach thanks to the generous support of Brightline, The Related Companies, and the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority,” said Colby Reese, operator of BrightBike & president of Micromobility Management LLC. “Improved mobility is a win-win for the City and all of its residents and visitors.”
“For the Downtown West Palm Beach District, BrightBike is the perfect complement to what is a growing suite of mobility options,” said Raphael Clemente, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. “Bikeshare in a compact, walkable, human-scale place like our city provides not just mobility, but a fun recreational opportunity for residents and visitors as well – it’s the perfect addition.”
Brightline unveiled its Brightline+ door-to-door service in October with first and last mile bookings launching in December of this year. The service will enable customers to book seamless transportation across multiple modes of private and public transportation for the first and last miles of their journeys — which will make Brightline the most integrated multimodal planning and ticketing app in North America. As the most significant enhancement made to Brightline since its inception, the service enables passengers to leverage an upgraded Brightline mobile app to plan, book and pay for their entire journey across a variety of eco-friendly transport modes, leading to a lower environmental impact.