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Bike Rentals Soon Available In Midtown Sac

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A business group is launching a pilot program Thursday that will test the waters on a bicycle rental service within Sacramento.

The Midtown Business Association is privately funding two self-serve kiosks that will give residents a chance to use a bicycle for brief trips instead of cars.

One kiosk is located near the intersection of 16th Street and I Street, and the second kiosk is located at 28th Street and J Street.

Users will need to swipe their credit cards, but the first half hour of using the bike will be free, with a charge of $2 for each additional half-hour. The bikes have to be returned to the same kiosk.

The service provides a lock, but riders will need their own helmet.

"It's a small investment in Sacramento," said Adrian Moore, owner of Ikon Cycle. "I live here, shop here; it's a good investment to give back to the city I like."

Moore said he invested $4,000 into the program, paying for a dozen bikes out of his own pocket.

"All of the more cosmopolitan cities in Europe have bike share programs," he said. "No reason we shouldn't be investing in small infrastructure improvements like this."

A program in Washington D.C. has grown to about 100 kiosks, and the system allows users to return the bikes to any kiosk.

The pilot program in Sacramento will run for 6 months, giving businesses a chance to see if the idea will catch on.

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