SALEM, Mass., Oct. 04, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As hundreds of thousands of people flock to Salem for the annual month-long Haunted Happenings Festival, the City of Salem and Zagster are temporarily expanding the bike share program with the addition of new stations and 18 bikes — including four custom-built “Wicked Bikes” costumed in the spirit of October.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0ed562aa-4ee4-4b11-86f0-a3f396cd6282
The seasonally apt Wicked Bikes feature a deep black cauldron on the front, the business end of a broomstick on the rear rack, wood grain graphics, spooky spokes and motion-activated lights on the wheels. The Wicked Bikes will debut in the Haunted Happenings parade on Thursday, October 5.
Throughout the month of October, riders who post a photo of themselves with the bikes using the hashtag #wickedbikes will receive $3 in ride credits — and double credit if they are in costume. In addition, riders who post a photo with the hashtag #wickedbikes will be entered into a drawing for a bike accessory prize pack from Salem Cycle valued at more than $50, a $50 restaurant gift certificate from Bambolina and a $50 restaurant gift certificate from Kokeshi.
“I want to thank Zagster and sponsors Salem State and Blue Cross Blue Shield for helping to make our new bike share system such a success,” said Mayor Driscoll. “I also want to express gratitude to Kokeshi, Bambolina, and Salem Cycle for helping to support the system’s expansion for the month of October. As the bike share continues to grow in use, it will help meet the transportation needs of our vibrant city and provide even more options to help get cars off our roadways.
In addition to a new standard Zagster station located at the City parking lot at the lower level of the MBTA Commuter Rail station, four other temporary hubs will be placed throughout the city for the month. These stations, consisting of a conventional bike rack and Zagster sign, will function the same as a standard Zagster station where users can start or end a ride using either the Zagster smartphone app or SMS text messaging. They will be located in North Salem at the intersection of North and Orne Streets, South Salem at the Salem State University School of Social Work building at 287 Lafayette Street, and downtown at the Hawthorne Hotel and Visitor Center.
“We are very excited about the addition of the conventional bike rack hubs,” said Traffic and Parking Director Matt Smith. “It increases the flexibility of the system and makes it even easier to check out and check in your bike. This added convenience, in addition to the increase in available bikes and the new station locations, will expand ridership and help offer even more alternative transportation choices for residents and visitors alike.”
On the last two Saturdays of October (October 21 and 28) between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Zagster representatives will be giving out free candy to trick-or-treaters who stop by the Salem Ferry terminal on Blaney Street.
Since the Salem Zagster Bike Share launched in May, the system has added new stations at Salem State University’s Central Campus, Congress Street, and Salem Willows—in addition to the two downtown stations and another at the Salem Ferry terminal on Blaney Street that were set up at the launch. Over 1,300 rides have taken place, displacing hundreds of car trips from Salem roads, and there are now over 750 members. The Salem Zagster Bike Share is funded by the City of Salem and sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Salem State University.
For contest rules and more information about the Wicked Bikes, visit bike.zagster.com/wickedbike.
About Zagster
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Zagster is the largest and fastest-growing bike-share provider in the United States. Zagster operates more than 200 bike share programs in 35 states across North America and specializes in making bike sharing available in areas where traditional bike share providers can't reach. Unlike other programs in which riders must drop off bikes at designated stations for every stop, Zagster’s programs give users the freedom to ride as long as they want, wherever they want. And because Zagster manages all aspects of its programs — from bikes and technology, to maintenance and marketing — Zagster partners can create and deploy scalable bike-share systems that best suit their needs and work within their budgets.
More information about Zagster and its programs can be found at www.zagster.com
Media contact for Zagster
Jon Terbush, Zagster communications manager
617.681.4914, jterbush@zagster.com