Richmond is getting another electric upgrade, in the form of electric bikes, after a major 2022 power failure. In that year, Bolt Motility, founded by Jamaican track superstar Usain Bolt, abruptly shut down and abandoned its electric bikes and hubs, which had been built in sites throughout the city. Richmond was one of eight U.S. cities affected. Despite raising more than $40 million from investors, Bolt Motility “ran out of money,” according to media coverage at the time, and abandoned its e-bikes, which could only be unlocked by using a now-nonfunctioning app. But all wasn’t lost for current and future electric bike fans. In February 2024, a partnership between the City of Richmond and Atlanta-based company Today began regenerating existing hubs and installing new electric bikes. Currently, said Salma Berumen, community manager for the City of Richmond’s electric bikeshare program, Today, 14 active hubs exist in key areas. The city’s contribution is funded by the 2022 award of a $35 million Transformative Climate Communities Implementation Grant by the California Strategic Growth Council. “Our approach is very different [from Bolt Motility],” Berumen said. “The goal is empowering residents with micro-transportation, giving them greater control.” Users sign up by searching for the “RideToday” app in the Apple App or other app stores, and creating an account. They then use the app to find bikes, unlock them and scan their QR codes. The number of bikes at each hub “depends on where the hub is,” she said. For example, many bikes are placed at the Richmond BART station and at the Richmond Ferry, since many people transition from one form of public transport to another at those locations. Bikes can be rented between 6am and 1am. Let’s Ride Richmond’s goals are ambitious. According to its brochure, the program aims to “enhance mobility, reduce environmental impact, and promote healthy living through easy-to-use bike-sharing services.” To that end, the program is reaching out to Richmond residents, offering vouchers of up to $100 for residents in some of the city’s economically challenged areas, including the Iron Triangle, Coronado and Santa Fe neighborhoods. To obtain a voucher, residents complete the online form, and a Today representative follows up by email and provides a voucher code. There is also a New Year’s “JOLLY24” rider credit on the program’s app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play, and the program has been recruiting electric bike enthusiasts as “Bike Ambassadors.”  Ambassadors get to ride bikes for free, and can even bring a friend. All these promotions will be showcased at the Let’s Ride Richmond booth during the city’s popular MLK Day Celebration on Jan. 25. Also offered will be free rides on the bikes, and lessons on the proper way to ride an electric bike, Berumen said. The app tracks data from the bikes currently in use, said David Gachuz, operations manager. “We can track where the bikes are, when they are being used, their speed … we will use that data to decide where to put other hubs,” he said. Berumen emphasized that the bikes are serviced daily, ensuring batteries are operating correctly and replaced if they are not, and that bikes and hubs stay clean. Currently, the program uses a tiered membership system. Tiers include “Pay As You Go,” with a bike unlocked for $1 and subsequent usage charged at 20 cents per minute; a “Daily Rider Pass,” with $2 enabling two 15-minute rides with subsequent rides charged at 20 cents per minute; a “Monthly Explorer Pass” at $80 per month, allowing two 30-minute rides per day; and a “Monthly Commuter Pass,” also $80, which allows four 15-minute rides per day. In two years, Berumen expects hubs and e-bikes to be available in many more areas of Richmond, including the central city and the Richmond Annex. In five years, she said, Today hopes to expand the program to neighboring cities. “I hope we can [help cause a decline] in greenhouse gas emissions,” she said. Meanwhile, she urges residents to keep an eye out for the program’s surveys, as these will also be used to determine bike hub placement and user satisfaction. For more information on Let’s Ride Richmond, visit ridetoday.io and pull down under “Projects” to “Richmond.” Email the program at [email protected] or call at 510.230.8499.