Gotcha Launches Bike Share Program in Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE, LA – Today, Gotcha announced the official launch of Baton Rouge’s bike share program. Available for immediate use, the system includes 500 electric pedal-assist bikes across 50 mobility hubs throughout the city, LSU and Southern.

In partnership with East Baton Rouge City-Parish and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, the bike share system will provide residents, visitors, and students with an accessible and affordable micro-transit option that promotes active mobility. The system encompasses 50 convenient hub locations within the city and throughout both campuses. Riders can easily find, unlock, and pick-up a bike via the Gotcha app, which is live in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

“Enhancing mobility and transportation options for our residents and visitors adds tremendous value to Baton Rouge, and is a hallmark of a smart city,” said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. “Reducing traffic congestion, shortening trip times, and attracting tourism are just a few of the benefits that Bikeshare will bring to our community. I am so grateful to all of the partners who supported this effort to bring Bikeshare to our city and parish, and we are proud to partner with Gotcha to provide this benefit to our citizens and visitors.”

Sponsors and partners of the Baton Rouge bike share program include:

• Presenting Sponsor: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
• Docking Sponsor: Baton Rouge General
• East Baton Rouge City-Parish
• Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD)
• Baton Rouge Area Foundation
• Louisiana State University
• Southern University
• The Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge
• Downtown Development District
• The Charles Lamar Foundation

“Our mission is to improve the health and lives of Louisianans, and bike share systems are one way to do that,” said Michael Tipton, head of Community Relations for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and Blue Cross Foundation president. “We’re proud to be part of launching the second bike share system in Louisiana and giving Baton Rouge residents and visitors alike a healthy, green way to experience the capital city, whether they’re heading to work, getting around LSU’s and SU’s campuses, or just for fun.”

A variety of pricing options, including subscriptions, are available through the Gotcha app including:

• Pay as you go: $2 to unlock, 10 cents per minute
• Monthly Subscription: $9.99 a month 
• One free hour of usage per day
• $0.10 per minute after, no unlock fee
• Annual Subscription: $79.99 per year
• One free hour of usage per day
• $0.10 per minute after, no unlock fee
• Monthly Student Subscription: $6.99 a month for LSU and SU students
• One free hour of usage per day
• $0.10 per minute after, no unlock fee
• Annual Student Subscription: $59.99 a year for LSU and SU students
• One free hour of usage per day
• $0.10 per minute after, no unlock fee
• Reduced $5 per year subscription will be available for low-to-moderate income residents
• Gotcha will partner with select local community organizations to offer and distribute RFID cards, providing more transportation access in underserved areas

“We look forward to a successful bike share system here in Baton Rouge,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “We would like to take this opportunity to remind drivers and bicyclists to follow the laws of the road, be respectful to fellow drivers and cyclists, and be attentive while operating any type of vehicle. In everything we do, safety is our number one concern, and it is encouraging to see the safety features this system is implementing.”

To announce the launch of the bike share program, Gotcha and its partners will host a press conference on Thursday, July 11 at 2:00pm at Live Oak Plaza at North Boulevard Town Square. The event is open to the public and will include a ribbon cutting, a speech from Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, and a group ride. Visit Gotcha’s Facebook page to RSVP for the event here. 

For more information on Baton Rouge’s bike share system, visit ridegotcha.com/batonrouge.