Sacramento, West Sacramento Partnering For Bike Sharing Program

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Cities all across the country have bike share programs and now Sacramento and West Sacramento are taking a test ride of their own. Starting Wednesday, riders can rent a bike on one side of town and return it on the other side.

"It's pretty cool," said Dan Allison. "This is my third time today using it!"

Right now, 50 bikes are scattered throughout Sacramento and West Sacramento as a part of the Sacramento Regional Bike Share Project.

It costs $4 an hour and it's prorated by the minute. Eventually riders can choose to pay by the year, the month or just the day.

Sacramento City Councilman Steve Hansen has worked closely with Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) to bring these bikes to the streets of Sacramento.

"We're just trying to get things out there, get people used to it and I feel like you're going to see bikes all over," he told CBS13.

So here is how it works. First, you download the Social Bicycles mobile app or pull it up on the desktop version. You'll need to register for the Tower Bridge network. From there, you can find the green dots that show the bike hubs closest to your location. Once you're at the hub, you enter your account number, unlock the bike and you're on your way.

Each bike has a GPS to prevent theft. You can return it to another hub at no charge, or, for $2, you can lock it up at any green city bike rack that's within the boundaries on the map.

"Jump on a bike, go don't have to worry parking, don't have to worry about Uber," Hansen said. "Get a little exercise enjoy the flat nature of our city."

Eventually, the system will have nearly 1,000 bikes and reach all the way to Davis. The look of the bikes may change once SACOG secures a sponsor for the bike share program. Before the full system launches this fall, the city of Sacramento plans to add more bike parking and more lanes to accommodate all the new riders.

If you're looking to test one out, you can get an in-person preview at Sunday Street on Broadway this weekend.