Group Health to sponsor 15 bike share stations

Puget Sound Bike Share today announced that the local, non-profit healthcare provider Group Health has signed up to sponsor 15 bike share stations in Capitol Hill and South Lake Union.

Group Health has thousands of employees spread across four facilities between the Capitol Hill and South Lake Union neighborhoods, who will surely benefit from having a bike share docking station nearby.  

The first phase of Seattle’s bike share network will include 50 docking stations and 500 bikes spread across South Lake Union, Downtown, Capitol Hill and the University District.

Additional local companies, including Vulcan, REI, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Spectrum Development Solutions have also signed up to sponsor bike share stations.

“Lending our support for these bike stations makes sense for numerous reasons,” stated Matt Handley, MD, medical director of Quality for Group Health and an avid cyclist. “Not only does Group Health have a long history of supporting health and wellness – including through community programs and sponsorships – but as a large health provider that draws thousands of people to Capitol Hill, downtown Seattle and South Lake Union, our support of the Puget Sound Bike Share stations is one way Group Health can help put fewer cars on the road at any given time. This has health, environmental and economic benefits for the entire community and contributes to our Commute Trip Reduction efforts.”

 Bike stations are free-standing and battery powered (with solar backup), and will be sited in the public right-of-way, parks, plazas and on private property. All station locations must be approved in advance by the City of Seattle to ensure the location complies with regulatory standards. 

“Station sponsorships meaningfully enhance people’s ability to access bikes for alternative transportation and healthy activity,” said Holly Houser, executive director of Puget Sound Bike Share. “Station sponsorships have also become very popular among employers, developers and nonprofits that see bike share as a valuable benefit to employees, tenants and customers.”

For more information, contact Holly Houser at hollyhouser@pugetsoundbikeshare.org or visit www.pugetsoundbikeshare.org.

Pictured: example of a bike share docking station in Melbourne.