Louisville ends bike sharing program LouVelo after 6 years

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The bright green LouVelo Bikes seen across Louisville and Jeffersonville are docking for the last time in October.

After six years, city leaders said technology’s evolved and they’re exploring other options.

Former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced the LouVelo program in 2017. The bike-sharing company has 300 bikes and 39 stations across the Metro and Southern Indiana. By Oct. 25, LouVelo’s bikes will be removed from the streets, leaving people visiting areas like Frankfort Avenue looking for another way home.

“I feel like it’s more vital to keep them down here than to take them away because people actually use them,” Dade Allen said.

Allen works at Bae’s Bakery near one of the LouVelo bike racks, which was just installed in July. Mayor Greenberg’s office released a statement saying they are looking for more efficient options including a dock-less model.

The city’s full statement can be seen below:

“For the past six years, thousands of residents and visitors have participated in the LouVelo bike-sharing initiative, which not only cut down on car trips but also provided a unique and different way for people to see our city. As technology has rapidly evolved, we are looking at more efficient options for a new bike-sharing program, including a dock-less model that is being used in other cities. Soon we’ll be releasing more details about the next version of our bike-sharing initiative. We’re excited for even more residents and visitors to have access and get engaged.”

LouVelo’s General Manager appreciates the community’s support and commends the city for looking for eco-friendly transportation choices.

LouVelo’s full statement can be seen below:

“LouVelo Bike Share has completed many years of successful operations in Louisville. Cyclehop, the dedicated company that has managed the system from the beginning, will conclude its contract with Louisville Metro this month. Matthew Glaser, LouVelo’s General Manager, expressed gratitude for the community’s support and hopes the City will explore sustainable funding options to continue Micromobility as an eco-friendly transportation choice.”

For people who use LouVelo, the bikes will be removed from stations on Oct. 25. If you are an annual member, you can call their customer service to request a refund.

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