MoGo, Detroit's Public Bike Share System, Goes Online

Detroit's first public bike share system, MoGo, launched Tuesday with a sea of hundreds of red bikes rolling out from the city's New Center neighborhood.

The system, which is kicking off in the same month as the QLine streetcar, has 430 bikes at 43 stations serving 10 neighborhoods.

The concept of bike share systems has only existed for a decade in the U.S., said Eric Larson, CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, which oversees MoGo.

"It's now in over 60 cities, and most importantly, it's in our city," Larson said. "If this were a startup, it'd be a venture capital darling."

The bikes are available for 30-minute rides; a fee is charged if the time is exceeded. The system is sponsored by Henry Ford Health System and Health Alliance Plan.

"It is our purpose, it is our mission and it is our pleasure to be a part of the revitalization of so much of what's happening in Detroit," said Henry Ford Health System CEO Wright Lassiter III.

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A pass can be purchased online, with the Transit App, or at any one of MoGo's 43 stations. Cash payment and flexible payment options are available.

Accessible options for seniors and people with a disability are in the works for the bike share system, including tricycles and hand cycles, said Lisa Nuszkowski, MoGo's executive director.

"MoGo is designed for all kinds of people and all kinds of trips," she said.

Daily passes, for an unlimited number of 30-minute rides over 24 hours, are $8. Monthly passes are $18 and annual passes are $80. Access passes for qualifying riders receiving state benefits are $5 annually.

For more information, visit mogodetroit.com

Main image: The first riders in MoGo, the Detroit bike share system launched in a public-private partnership, cycle south on 2nd Avenue on Tuesday. Photo by Dustin Blitchok.