Bike sharing is a new and fun form of public transportation that came to Lancaster in October 2017. In April 2021, Bike It Lancaster bike share returned with 25 easy-to-ride and professionally maintained bikes and a network of 12 docking stations around Lancaster City. The bikes and docking stations provide a convenient, affordable, and healthy transit option that makes it easy to take short trips. Bike share users can access a bike at any station and return it to any other station by using their smartphone. Lancaster has partnered with Tandem Mobility to provide bike share in the city.
Download the Movatic app here, or wherever you download your apps. You can scan the QR code located on the plate under the saddle of any bike share bike to get started.
Once you are connected, the ring lock on the back wheel will click open allowing you to remove the docking cable from the side of the ring lock.
Before you ride, give the bike a quick check to make sure it is in proper working order and the seat is at a comfortable height. Now, you are ready to ride.
When you finish your ride, park at a Bike It Lancaster station. Be sure to relock the ring lock and docking cable.
The Bike It Lancaster bike share system is funded through sponsorships. Currently, three sponsors and the city of Lancaster paid for the 12 stations and 25 bikes. This type of bike share system is known as a “turn-key” system where Tandem Mobility owns and operates the system and is responsible for maintaining the bikes and rebalancing the stations.
The current sponsors are the City of Lancaster, Penn Medicine – Lancaster General Health, Cargas Systems, and Franklin and Marshall College.
There are currently two membership options – an hourly pay-as-you-go plan and an annual membership.
- The hourly plan costs $1.50/30 minutes.
- The $25 annual membership gives the rider a free 1-hour ride then $1.50 /30 minutes.
Employees and associates of sponsoring entities are entitled to free annual membership.
Yes, a credit or debit card is required to join the Bike It Lancaster bike share program.
Bike It Lancaster does not require the use of a helmet, but it does strongly encourage everyone to always wear a helmet while riding a bike.
Riding a bike share bicycle is like riding your own bike. Please obey all traffic laws and ride safely.
According to the 2018 study, the safety of bike share systems, by the international transportation forum, cities with bike share programs have seen a reduction in the overall number of cycling related injuries, even as the number of bicyclists in these cities has increased. In a 10-year period, the number of bicyclists in Philadelphia nearly doubled and the total number of bicycle crashes decreased by 50%. This is similar to the safety trends in other cities with bike share including Washington D.C., Boston, and New York.
Membership in the bike share program is available to everyone 18 and older with a credit or debit card.
Riders will need to be 18 years old or older to check out bicycles.
While you are using a Bike It Lancaster bike, you are free to ride it wherever you like. If you want to make a stop, you must lock the bike to a secure object (but never just lock the bike to itself). Before you end your bike trip, you must return your bike to an authorized Bike It Lancaster station. Trips won’t end unless the bike is locked to a station. Do not leave a bike anywhere else unless you have an active trip on the bike.
No, you can’t leave a Bike It Lancaster bike locked anywhere other than a designated station unless you have an active trip on the bike. The bike share program is for everyone, so please leave bikes where others can access them.
Bike It Lancaster bike share members are allowed to check out two bikes at a time so you and a friend can enjoy a ride together.
Please contact us right away with details on what’s happening. Call 313-217-9220 or email support@Movatic.co. Then, return the bike to the nearest Bike It Lancaster station. Once it’s locked there, end your trip. We’ll get the bike fixed up, but in the meantime you’re free to start a ride on a new bike and get on your way.
Don’t panic. Refer to the troubleshooting tips below. Sometimes it simply takes another try.
If all else fails, please call support at 313-217-9220.
First, make sure there aren’t any spokes contacting the ring lock. Sometimes a spoke will seat up against the ring lock with enough pressure to keep the ring lock from retracting.
If the spokes are clear, double-check that you are entering the correct code, and try again after waiting for 30 seconds. If the lock won’t close, make sure there are no spokes in the way.
If you held the lock button until the light flashes, you should hear a mechanical noise from the ring lock itself. This mean the ring lock is armed and ready to use. If you’ve pressed and held the button but heard no noise, there is a good chance the lock is already armed, and you can simply press down the orange tab to lock the ring.
Once the ring lock has been engaged, and locked, make sure you plug the docking cable into the port on the top of the ring lock.
If you can’t secure your bike, please call 202-999-3924 right away!
If you believe your bike share bike has been stolen, immediately contact the Lancaster police department at 717-664-1180. You are obligated by the rider agreement to alert Tandem Mobility as soon as possible at 202-999-3924
In 2021, the entire system cost $54,000 per year for the stations and bikes. The current cost for a branded station and 5 branded bikes is $10,000 per year.
