Sioux City may work with a bike-sharing service to bring up to 250 bicycles to the city's downtown this spring.
The City Council was voting Monday on a service agreement with LimeBike, an app that commuters use to locate "smart bikes" and rent them with a credit card or PayPal. The service could bring 250 free-standing and self-locking bicycles by March, the Sioux City Journal reported .
Riders rent bikes for $1 for every 30 minutes, and unlock them through a text message or scanning a QR code with their phone. Discounts are available for low-income users and students. Riders can leave the bikes at their destination instead of finding a docking station.
City Parks and Recreation Manager Angel Wallace said LimeBike is intriguing because it doesn't require the installation of docks, which could be expensive.
"We did some research, and there were companies out there that were charging for docked bikes," said Wallace. "The costs were kind of cost-prohibitive because it would require a significant investment."
Wallace said LimeBike could provide affordable transportation and recreation opportunities.
Gabriel Scheer, LimeBike's strategic development director, said Sioux City has the demographics and multiple colleges to make it a successful location to launch.
"We're really excited to see this live in Iowa," said Scheer. "We're excited to be in cities that aren't just coastal cities but are in the Midwest."
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