Biketown Is Getting 40 New Docking Stations Partly Built With Recycled Bike Tires and Nike Shoe Waste

Lyft announced today that Biketown will soon have 40 new docking stations around the city.

By Shannon Gormley

After getting its first electric fleet last fall, Biketown is getting some extra stations and another, less glamorous upgrade: recycled rubber mats.

Lyft announced today that Biketown will soon have 40 new docking stations around the city. They'll be equipped with rubber mats that have wheel-sized ruts to help balance the bikes. The mats are made of recycled bike tires and waste produced while manufacturing Nike shoes.

According to Lyft, which owns the company that operates Biketown, the new, lighter weight stations are also quicker to install, which will hopefully allow for quicker expansions.

Last September, Biketown deployed its first 1,500 e-bikes and expanded its service area by 13 square miles, bringing the total service area up to 32 square miles. The Portland Bureau of Transportation plans to bring that number up to 40 square miles by 2024 and the number of e-bikes on the street up to 3,000.

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