Electric bike rentals offer new options for Triad travelers

People on the go have a new mode of transportation to choose from in the Triad. Scooters have been used in Winston-Salem for several years, and now, electric bikes are arriving on the scene.

Rental scooters were scattered about town in Winston-Salem in 2018, but public complaints over the lack of regulation soon followed, prompting the city council to shut the program down a few months later. 

The city adopted an ordinance to control the devices in 2019 and created an application process for vendors. The San Francisco-based micromobility company Spin now operates the city’s scooters. And they’ve been popular, with last year’s data showing roughly 26,000 rentals over a 12-month span. The city now has now added electric bike rentals to the mix. Transportation Principal Planner Matthew Burczyk calls it a great development, especially for riders who may lack the stamina to tackle the city’s steep terrain.

"I view it as kind of the equalizer," says Burczyk. "It makes bicycle transportation — which in the city can be really efficient — it makes it accessible for a lot more people. And if our goal, in the end, is to get more people on bikes, then electric bikes have to play a part in that."

He hopes more electric bikes leads to more ownership, more cyclist visibility, and ultimately a safer riding environment. Burczyk says he and his colleagues will analyze the anonymous ridership data to determine the most popular routes and destinations and adjust the service accordingly.