Breeze Bike Share Program Raises Rates $1 per Hour

On August 1, 2016, a new and simplified fee structure and employee benefit program with launch for Breeze, the region's first bike share system. Since the City of Santa Monica launched Breeze in November 2015, 26,000 people have taken 140,000 bike trips totaling 329,000 miles. After surveying riders and listening to comments, and looking ahead to an integrated regional bike share network that is seamless for riders, eight subscription plans will be simplified into four offerings. The new plans make riding even cheaper for Monthly, Annual, and Student subscribers by extending daily ride time from 30-60 minutes to 90 minutes. Here are the new plans:

1. Annual Plan: Now $99/year for 90 minutes of daily ride time. This replaces two plans at $119 for 30 minutes and $149 for 60 minutes. Less money for more ride time.

2. Monthly Plan: Now $25/month for 90 minutes of daily ride time. This plan consolidates two monthly plans and offers 30 to 60 minutes of additional daily ride time.

3. Student Plan: Now $7/month for 90 minutes of daily ride time. Students will now pay monthly rather than a 6-month commitment. This makes more sense for student schedules and increases daily ride time from 60 to 90 minutes a day.

4. Pay-As-You-Go: Now $7/hour. This $1 increase from the current $6/hour matches the Breeze hourly rate with partner bike share systems in formation in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, UCLA, and Long Beach.

"Breeze riders have shared their love of the program, but we've also heard frustrations about a confusing menu of plans and not enough daily ride time," said Mobility Manager Francie Stefan. "These changes simplify sign up for Annual and Monthly plans, and lay the foundation for a regional system where Breeze users can use their account to unlock a bike in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and beyond."

The Annual plans now equate to less than $1 a day, and are the cheapest option for users who take more than three 30-minute trips per month on average. Existing members will receive 90 minutes of daily ride time until their plan expires and/or is renewed under the new fee structure.

The new Breeze Bike Share Employee Benefits Program allows employers to bulk purchase Breeze Bike Share plans for their employees for as little as $19/year. This program will encourage people working in Santa Monica to commute on Breeze to help reduce traffic congestion created by midday trips. Companies interested in participating should contact info@breezebikeshare.com or 310-828-2525.

The system has attracted more than 26,000 people, some riding for the first time in years. Santa Monicans account for 44 percent of the total trips taken in the system and LA County residents make up an additional 23 percent. In the first user satisfaction survey conducted in May, 78 percent of the 741 respondents gave the program an overall rating of very good or excellent.

City Council approved the simplified Fee Structure and Employee Benefits program at its meeting on June 14, 2016.

About Breeze Bike Share

Breeze Bike Share is owned by the City of Santa Monica and is an important component in the City's overall strategy to offer sustainable vehicle trip alternatives that reduce emissions, and improve mobility, community health, and the overall quality of life in Santa Monica. The new fee structure will simplify the user experience, give more people more time to ride, and create solid foundation for expanding Breeze into the future. For more information or to join the thousands of Breeze riders, visit http://www.breezebikeshare.com. For more information on multi-modal options in Santa Monica, visit http://www.smgov.net/gosamo.