Festival to kick off public bike program

PROVO (AP) — Provo is launching a corporate-sponsored public bicycle program.

The city has been given 20 blue Trek Cruiser Classic bicycles, which will be available to residents for free public use.

Provo is among eight U.S. metropolitan areas participating in the program, which is a marketing campaign by Trek and bottled-water company Dasani.

City leaders hope it will lessen dependability on motor vehicles and encourage residents to be active.

"It just seems we're at a point when encouraging the use of bicycles and being a bicycle-friendly community is precisely the kind of thing we need to be doing," said city spokeswoman Raylene Ireland.

To prevent theft and vandalism which has plagued free bike efforts in other cities, the Blue Bike program incorporates inventory tracking.

The bikes will be at government offices and businesses where riders with user cards will be able to take them out of stage lockers. The cards will be available to anyone.

The lockers will be in office buildings along the Provo River trail, including the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and Provo City Center.

Organizers envision business executives riding the bikes for errands and to meetings, or for a little exercise during their lunch breaks.

The city is sponsoring a festival Saturday to kick off the Blue Bike program. Starting at 11 a.m. at the Plum Tree Shopping Center, Mayor Lewis Billings will lead the public on an inaugural half-mile trail ride.