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TRANSPORTATION Bike share available in Medford, Ashland and White City starting Friday Low-cost bike rentals available starting Friday Comment By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 23, 2015 at 5:14 PM By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 23, 2015 at 5:14 PM » Social News A new means of getting to school, a job interview or even a grocery store will be available starting Friday with the arrival of Jackson County's first bike share program. United Way of Jackson County and Jackson Care Connect have partnered with Zagster, a Massachusetts-based company, to help increase mobility for Rogue Valley residents who face barriers to getting around town, according to Connie Wilkerson of United Way. "There are so many transportation gaps in the valley, especially for low-income families," Wilkerson said. "We’d been hearing from people that they couldn’t make appointments, classes or health visits. They were depending on rides from friends, which were unpredictable. Some people couldn’t afford a bus pass, or the bus didn’t go close enough to where they lived." In fall 2014, Jackson Care Connect approached United Way about ways to mitigate these access issues. Wilkerson researched several options, but decided that the bike share program run by Zagster was the most economical. Jackson Care Connect, a nonprofit coordinated care organization, gave United Way a grant of more than $90,000 to work with Zagster to establish a new, affordable means of transportation in the Rogue Valley. "Most of the determining factors in the health of our members are social determinants," said Heidi Hill of Jackson Care Connect. "And that means education, health and human services, access to transportation. ... We want to support healthy communities in addition to alleviating some of those barriers for our members." Starting Friday, a fleet of 28 bikes will be available for use, distributed at five docks in Medford, Ashland and White City. Zagster owns the bikes and contracts with local bike shops for routine maintenance and repairs. Rider support is also available 24/7, via zagster.com/jacksoncounty or on the app (available for iPhone and Android). Riders age 18 and older can sign up for the program online or by downloading the app, but they must provide a credit card number. An annual membership costs $20 for unlimited bike rental. The service is also available for day-to-day use; after the initial two hours that are free, every additional hour costs $1, up to a maximum of $6 per day. Riders use the serial number on the back of the bike to request an access code. This code opens the lock box containing the key to the bike lock. While a rider has a bike checked out, he can lock it wherever he goes, but the bike must be returned to any dock within 24 hours or a $20 late fee is incurred. The app and website offer information for riders whose bikes get lost or stolen. The docks in Medford are at the corner of Ninth and Front streets across from Rogue Valley Transportation District's bus terminal, and at Fifth Street and Oakdale Avenue. The Ashland dock is at the Lithia Way overpass on Water Street. In White City, the docks are at 7800 Pacific Ave. and the intersection of Highway 62 and Avenue A. Wilkerson said the program is expected to expand in the number of bikes and docks, and several local businesses have expressed interest in partnering. The bike share kicks off with a launch event at 10 a.m. Friday at the corner of Ninth and Front streets in Medford. Reach reporting intern Kaylee Tornay at [email protected]. By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune Posted Jul. 23, 2015 at 5:14 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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