Roam New River Valley Bike Share Ceremonial Ride & Kick-Off Event
Venue: Huckleberry Trail, Blacksburg
Organizations: Roam New River Valley
Date: Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Event Types: Miscellaneous, Speaking Engagements
Cost: Free
Description:
Roam New River Valley hosts their Bike Share Ceremonial Ride and Kick-Off Event on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 starting at the Huckleberry Trail from the New River Valley Mall entrance to downtown Blacksburg, VA.

The Roam New River Valley (NRV) bike share officially hits the streets this weekend and partner localities are planning an official kick-off event and ceremonial ride. Join Roam NRV for a fun ride on the Huckleberry Trail. 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 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 7 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 trail head 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.

There is no charge for the event; however, there’s a limited supply of bikes for the day. Participants wishing to ride a Roam NRV bike must be 16 years of age or older. The community is also encouraged to bring their own bicycles to join along in the ride.

To ride a Roam NRV bike during the ceremonial event, contact Christiansburg Public Relations Director Melissa Demmitt at 540-382-6128 extension 1150 or mdemmitt@christiansburg.org to reserve a bike.

Roam NRV Bike Share program is a partnership of the Town of Blacksburg, the Town of Christiansburg, Montgomery County and Virginia Tech. The program is operated by the Gotcha Group under a contract managed by Blacksburg Transit. Gotcha has teamed with the Bike Barn of Blacksburg for maintenance and support, and Social Bikes/SoBi for technology.

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.

A Bike Share Advisory Committee was established by the New River Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization. Technical assistance is being provided by staff of the MPO and the New River Valley Regional Commission.

Links:

• http://gotchabike.com/roamnrv/
• https://www.facebook.com/roamNRV
• https://www.instagram.com/roamnrv/

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.

How it Works:
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 $1.00, ride an hour for $4.00, sign up for unlimited access in a 24-hour period for $10.00 or get really serious and sign up for a $20.00 monthly or $60.00 annual membership. Bicycle reservations and rentals can be made via a smartphone app, or online at http://gotchabike.com/roamnrv/.

For more information, visit http://www.blacksburg.gov/Home/Components/News/News/7522/304.