Spokies, Oklahoma City’s bike share program, has received a new look and a new station thanks to a $50,000 sponsorship from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. The sponsorship allowed Spokies to repair, rebrand and expand the bike-share program, adding its eighth station at Elemental Coffee.
“Since the system launched in 2012, the bikes and stations were beginning to show signs of wear and needed some refreshing,” said Brent Tongco, general manager of Spokies. “Spokies’ partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma allowed us to replace components and make significant improvements to extend the life of our bikes.”
Improvements included stripping the bikes existing paint and rust and replacing it with a rust-resistant powder-coat, rebranding the stations and bikes to make them easier to locate and adding user-friendly system maps to each station that include landmarks, entertainment venues and points-of-interest as reference. The sponsorship also allowed Spokies to launch a new website that’s mobile friendly and provides riders with real-time data about bike availability.
Spokies increases mobility among Oklahoma City’s urban core, connecting metro residents to restaurants, entertainment, shopping and businesses throughout downtown with eight strategically placed stations that are all less than a 25 minute bike ride apart.
Jason Ferbrache, director of Embark adds, “When combined with the Embark bus service, which now provides 30 minute frequency on nearly all routes, residents outside the urban core can take advantage of a multimodal connection to experience all downtown has to offer.”
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma sponsored Spokies’ improvements to help increase awareness and accessibility of the bike-share program, one of the healthiest and most sustainable forms of transportation. Opting to ride a bike instead of sitting in your car for just 30 minutes a day can have significant health benefits.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is committed to improving the health and wellness of Oklahomans,” said J.T. Petherick, director of legislative and Tribal Relations at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. “Spokies can help us achieve these efforts by offering a healthy way to stay active and explore downtown. We're proud to sponsor Oklahoma City’s bike share system for the second year and look forward to seeing it grow.”
Spokies will keep its maintenance costs low and improve the lives of at-risk youth thanks to a community partnership with Rocktown Youth Mentoring’s Cycle Revolution program. Spokies provides the bicycles, Emerson High School students provide the maintenance, and the accredited class creates opportunities for students to develop perseverance, trust, discipline and teamwork skills.
“Spokies’ partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is an example of how community partnerships work to make good ideas great and great ideas a reality in Oklahoma City,” said Meg Salyer, Ward 6 councilwoman. “We had a good bike-share program, but now we have a great one. BCBSOK’s sponsorship is expanding the reach of public transportation, and Rocktown Youth’s partnership is helping keep maintenance costs low while transforming lives. This is just one example of what Oklahoma City can achieve when our community works together.”
