Hundreds of bright green bicycles have collectively logged nearly 100,000 miles crisscrossing Birmingham, as the city’s new bike sharing system has become a hit with residents and visitors alike.
Zyp BikeShare, an initiative of REV Birmingham that launched in October 2015, gives riders a new way to make a quick trip to the grocery store, spend an afternoon exploring favorite landmarks or take many other excursions around the city.
The system is marked with innovative features, including an app through which riders can buy time on a bike, unlock it and chart their course. And the bikes and docking stations scattered throughout the city use clean energy, charged fully by solar panels.
Zyp also was the first system in the U.S. to offer electric assist bikes that give riders an extra boost, a feature that’s especially useful on Birmingham’s hilly terrain.