Bike Sharing

Awesome apartment amenity

By Jessica Fiur on Aug 23, 2013 in News

 

Bikes are extremely attractive to apartment renters who live in urban areas. After all, bikes are green, they don’t take up a lot of space and riding is great exercise. Plus they allow riders to avoid being stuck in city traffic jams, which alone makes up for the cost of the bike. Many apartments already provide bicycle storage areas for their residents, either included with the apartment, or for a small amenity fee.

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike.

I want to ride my bicycle, Anywhere I like.

—“Bicycle Race,” Queen

And, with the popularity of bikes soaring, some communities are taking the bicycle amenity one step further with resident bike-sharing programs.

Take, for example, Related Companies. Related, partnering with bike-sharing company Zagster, is going to start offering an on-site bike sharing program in its New York communities. Once residents join the program, they can send a text to reserve a bike (which will be located in their community’s garage or parking lot) for the whole day. The bike keys will all be conveniently located in lock boxes on-site. Bikes will all include large baskets, making them ideal for residents who need to run a few errands—perfect for city dwellers who might not have easy access to a car.

A bike-sharing program will save residents money, as well as storage space in their apartments if their community doesn’t have a bicycle storage area. It also provides a great amenity that will actually be used. And it’s eco-friendly. Beyond a little helmet hair, a bike-sharing program could be a great amenity to attract new residents.

Jessica Fiur is News Editor at Multi-Housing News. Find more of her insights on multifamily living on the “What Renters Want” blog.