August 31, 2016
Philly's bike share program is adding another feature to make it ultra-convenient for Philadelphians to use.
Indego will offer "valet bike parking" at its One Center City station throughout the work week from 7:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. until the end of September, the organization announced in its Wednesday newsletter and Philly.com originally reported.
The newest feature is being added mostly for morning commuters who aren't having much luck finding an open dock at 18th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard.
Aaron Ritz, from the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems, said that because of the spot's popularity, the city doubled its amount of docking stations back in April and added other locations in the area, like at 15th and Market streets.
"The city of Philadelphia is seeking to make Indego reliable, healthy and fun," he said. "We know people need reliability in transportation, and that's why we're testing out the valet parking at 18th and JFK to give bikers confidence to know they'll get to work on time."
Ritz said that members of the Indego Street Team will be there to take bikes from commuters. Even if all the spots are taken, Ritz said the Indego employees will use special key cards to unlock bikes and let users dock theirs in place to give them peace of mind that they won't be charged for usage while at work.
Indego, owned by the city of Philadelphia and sponsored by Independence Blue Cross, started in 2015 with more than 500 bikes at more than 60 stations across the city. It has since grown to more than 1,000 bikes at about 100 stations.
