Photo by Audrey Spencer

Library, visitors center promote ridership

Georgetown Library Director Eric Lashley and Tourism Manager Cari Miller will roll out a bike-share program on Feb. 14 to provide visitors and residents a new way to see the city.

The program allows people to check out bicycles at no cost for personal or recreational use within the city. Lashley said the program is modeled after similar ones in cities such as Fort Collins, Colo.

Im a cyclist, and Id do research and read blogs on bike-share programs, Lashley said. I called Cari [Miller] and said, Why dont we do something similar?

Using library donations and hotel occupancy tax funds, the city purchased 14 Atlas X-Type bicycles from Sun Bikes for $4,200, Lashley said.

The donations come from patrons and money from our Friends [of the Georgetown Library] organization, Lashley said.We get donations to the library, and folks are fine with us spending the money on any library program we feel is necessary.We try and put the money to items that are unfunded by the city.

The library has 10 bicycles, and four are available at the Georgetown Visitors Center and may be taken out for a day at a time. Individuals must be age 16 years or older to rent bicycles without parental consent.

The bikes also feature front and back racks and will be decorated to make them identifiable, Lashley said.

Bicycle gear and maintenance shop Georgetown Cyclewerx assembled the bicycles and will provide maintenance work as needed.

Miller said she anticipates the bike-share program to be popular with visitors.

Weve never tried anything like this before. Its creative, and I think itll be a hit, she said. If [a visitor does not] have a bike, itll be an option for them to visit and see the great trails we have.