Bike-share program adds two stations with room for 26 bikes

The Indiana Pacers Bikeshare system is adding two new stations next month—and it’s hoping for a much larger expansion down the road.

On Thursday, Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc. announced that it will add a 15-dock bike-share station on the main campus of Eskenazi Health and an 11-dock station adjacent to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail at Massachusetts Avenue and College Avenue. Both stations will be installed Oct. 4.

Looking ahead, Indianapolis Cultural Trail said it plans to apply for a federal grant that would significantly enlarge the Pacers Bikeshare program in years to come.

When the two new stations come online, the Pacers Bikeshare system will have 29 stations in total on or near the Cultural Trail. The bike stations are essentially high-tech bike racks where riders check bikes in and out and pay for day-use passes.

“The new station at Eskenazi Health will increase access to health care and provide an active transportation option for Eskenzai Health employees and guests," Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc. Executive Director Kären Haley said in a written statement. "Many of our annual members live in the neighborhoods near the Mass Ave Cultural District, and the new station at Mass Ave and College allows us to provide an increased level of service to our residents and visitors.”

When Pacers Bikeshare launched in 2014, money for the initial 251 bikes and 25 stations came from a $1 million Federal Highway Administration grant.

Haley told IBJ this summer that her organization plans to apply for a similar grant this fall. If secured, that grant would allow Pacers Bikeshare to roughly  double its number of bikes and stations.

As part of the application process, the Cultural Trail is hosting two public sessions next week to gather input about possible new station locations.

Sessions will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 22 and from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 27 at the Cultural Trail’s office at 132 W. Walnut St.