“We think it will provide access to people who don’t own automobiles, which is more than 50 percent of the people,” said Roshun Austin, executive director of The Works Inc. in South Memphis and board member with Explore Bike Share. “It will help them get outside of South Memphis and get to the places they need, like groceries, retail, financial institutions, primary health care. All the things we’ll be missing in the neighborhood they’ll be able to access it.”
The bike share demonstration stations will be set up around Memphis this week to drum up public support for an early 2017 launch. On Wednesday, the bikes were available in Overton Square in the morning and at the intersection of Union Avenue and Main Street from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. On Thursday, July 28, the bikes will be outside the South Memphis Farmers Market between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. That evening, the bikes will be at the Levitt Shell beginning at 6 p.m. On Friday, July 29, the FedExForum will host the bikes as part of a food truck round-up running from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.