Transportation

MoGo Detroit Now Rolls with More Than Pedal Power

August 10, 2019, 6:09 AM

New models in MoGo Detroit's bike-sharing racks have an electric boost to let riders cover more distance with less pedaling.

The nonprofit service, launched in May 2017, just added 50 black bicycles powered by batteries. The "pedal-assist" versions, labeled MoGo Boost with a lightning bolt graphic, can reach 15 miles per hour and go 40 miles between charges. 

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Scene from the promotional video, as is the Dequindre Cut electric biker above.

"Technology detects the amount of electric boost each rider needs while pedaling and adjusts accordingly to deliver a smooth, easy riding experience," the organization says in an announcement and half-minute video (below).

Riders can take a MoGo Boost e-bike from any station and return it to any station within the system.

The e-bikes will be charged by the MoGo operations team, and MoGo hopes to add electric charging stations to its system so that bikes will be charged while not in use. . . .

Riders can find stations with Boost bikes by using the Transit app, which is free to download on the Apple or Android platforms.

Free Press writrer Eric D. Lawence took a test spin and posts:

The bikes look slick and they're fun to ride, although I could see how someone used to getting more of a workout on their trips might choose to pass.

These bikes would, however, appeal to someone who wants to travel a little farther and faster than for just a leisurely ride.

MoGo has 44 docking stations and 430 regular bikes. Juiced-up rides cost the same as those propelled solely by leg power:

  • $8 daily pass: Unlimited 30-minute trips for 24 hours. Longer trips cost $4 for each extra half-hour. (Buy pass with a debit or credit card at any station kiosk or via the phone app.)
  • $18 a month: Unlimited 30-minute use for 30 days, and $2 for each added half-hour. (Cash payment option.)
  • $80 a year, or $60 for seniors: Unlimited 30-minute trips, and $2 for each additional half-hour. (Cash accepted; state benefit recipients qualify for a $5 annual pass.) 

The startup's news release notes that it "strongly encourages safe cycling and the use of helmets while riding its bikes," though three models in its video ride bare-headed. "We’ll do better in the future," founder and executive director Lisa Nuszkowski says Friday afternoon in response to a tweet.

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Read more:  MoGo Detroit


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