WARREN, MI--(Marketwired - Apr 16, 2015) - Zagster and General Motors today announced the expansion of the Zagster bike sharing program on GM's Warren Technical Center. Beginning this week, a total of 20 new bikes and seven new stations will be added, bringing the total number of bikes to 70 at 14 stations. The increase is the result of high employee satisfaction and use, which has translated into increased productivity and reduced environmental impact.
The program -- the first of its kind from any U.S. automaker -- was launched last August to give GM's 19,000 employees new options for getting to and from its 61 buildings covering the 330-acre campus.
Increased employee productivity and overall satisfaction with the service were the two key reasons for the expansion. According to surveys, Zagster saves each rider between 10 and 30 minutes a day, as it removes the time needed to wait for a shuttle bus and/or walk long distances across campus. These benefits are leading GM to consider expanding the program to its other campuses.
"The Zagster program is a triple play for GM, as it increases productivity, makes our employees happy, and helps us continue to make progress on our sustainability goals," said GM Director of Sustainability David Tulauskas. "Additionally, the program is providing key data we can use as we reimagine mobility on campus settings and in densely populated areas."
Zagster also leveraged the data and conducted "heat map" analyses of all the rides to determine where most trips began and ended, as well as popular destinations along the way to identify new locations as well as where to add bikes to existing locations.
"GM is making the business case for workplace bike sharing," said Timothy Ericson, co-founder and CEO of Zagster. "Their experience proves that bike sharing isn't just reserved for big cities, but that smart and efficient mobility is great for the bottom line."
To participate, an employee registers online, then reserves a bike through text message or a smart phone app that provides an access code to unlock the lock box mounted on the bike. Zagster's geofencing technology, installed at each bike station, is powered by solar energy panels -- an energy feature comparable to the large public bike share systems, and unique to the GM/Zagster partnership.
Each bike comes equipped with a basket to safely transport a laptop, notebook and other small belongings. Riders must wear helmets and use bells to alert pedestrians when they are approaching.
About General Motors Co.
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About Zagster Founded in Philadelphia in 2007 as CityRyde and now headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Zagster is the leading provider of private and public-private bike sharing systems. Zagster is uniquely focused on contracting with property managers, hotels, businesses, universities and smaller cities across North America to make bike sharing programs available to tenants, employees, guests, students and residents. This highly efficient and unique model allows Zagster to offer services in areas that traditional city-wide bike sharing systems can't reach. More information about Zagster is available at www.Zagster.com .
Media Contacts: Zagster John Williams Scoville PR Email Contact 206-625-0075 GM Sharon Basel GM Energy, Environment and Sustainability Communications 313-378-6647 Email Contact
