In the News
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The Herald Journal Tuesday, Jul. 17, 2018
Spin to Discontinue Bikesharing; Valley Officials Uncertain of Its Future
Only a few months after it implemented a pilot bikesharing program in Logan and at Utah State University, the California-based company Spin has decided to discontinue bikes and focus on scooters.Meanwhile, local officials are reacting with both disappointment and confusion over the decision. ... It all started Monday, when Spin informed USU, Logan and Joy Ride Bicycles of its decision ... Spin introduced the bikes to USU and Logan this spring as part of a yearlong pilot bikesharing program in the area. At the pilot program’s peak, there were over 300 Spin bikes in Cache Valley, according to Jeff Bruce, owner of Joy Ride Bicycles, the local company Spin contracted with to maintain the bikes. ... But Bruce did not care for how Spin handled the decision to discontinue bikesharing. ... Spin indicated in that follow-up conversation it was still considering continuing bikesharing in Cache Valley “because of the way we ran their operation and the way things went,” according to Bruce. ... In an interview Tuesday, Logan Mayor Holly Daines couldn’t say for sure Spin was getting rid of its bikes in her city or USU. ... Spin, for its part, did provide a statement to The Herald Journal on its intended switch from bikes to scooters. ... "Spin is committed to making sure this transition is as smooth as possible and we look forward to possibly returning to Logan in the future with electric scooters.” ... Bruce said he would support scooters in Cache Valley if Spin offered them. “We hope based on (our) business relationship with SPIN, we hope that there will be an opportunity to continue with further bike- or scooter-share programs in the valley,” he wrote.