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Pittsburgh Bike Sharing Program Finally Hits The Ground Running

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The "Bike Share" program is catching on around the world.

And Wednesday morning: "We are here today to announce a public bicycle sharing system here in Pittsburgh."

David White, executive director of Pittsburgh Bike Share, made the announcement at Highmark Corporate Headquarters, Downtown.

Five hundred rental bikes, dubbed "Healthy Ride Pittsburgh," will soon be available at 50 kiosks.

First you get a free registration card, White says, and then, "You take out a Healthy Ride bicycle, spend $2 for a half hour of your time. If you go over the time, it's just $2 an hour after that."

The corner of Forbes Avenue and Market Square will be one of the 50 locations. The kiosks will be located all the way from the North Side to East Liberty.

Funded by $2.8 million in federal dollars and foundation grants, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald says the Healthy Ride bike could help ease congestion Downtown.

"You take your bus in to work, and if you have another meeting, you join the Bike Share subscription and you can ride your bike to your meeting on the South Side, or your meeting in the Strip District, and leave your car behind," Fitzgerald said.

For more information, visit http://healthyridepgh.com/

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto says it's not just for residents.

"Visitors to Pittsburgh who come in, they'll be by the hotels, they'll be able to get on them, ride to the rivers and onto the bike trails, and really be able to see how beautiful our city is," he said.

A bonus: the new bikes have seven gears, to cope with Pittsburgh's hills.

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