Blog by Nandi O’Connor
Despite growing up in Philadelphia, bikes have never really played a major role in my life. My apartment is too small to store one, and I live on Broad Street, so hopping on the subway is pretty practical
So, when I heard about Philly’s municipal bike-share system Indego, I didn’t get involved with it at first. Eventually, I joined — and I’m glad I did.
During the initial roll out, they built a docking station across the street from my apartment building. I walked past it every day for over a year pondering whether or not I should rent one. See, I hadn’t ridden a bike in over eight years, so I was nervous about even getting on one.
“What if I embarrassed myself?” I thought.
One day, when I was feeling particularly brave, I finally approached the station, curious about what the process for renting a bike was really like. I suspected that I might be required to sign up for a membership before using the service. Imagine my excitement when I found out that all I needed was my debit card.
The process for checking out a bike couldn’t have been easier. For $4, I was able to rent a bike for 30 minutes.
All I had to do was insert my debit card, input my phone number, and select the bike that I wanted from the station. Within moments, I had one of those ubiquitous blue bikes unlocked, ready for me to use. I took the time to adjust the seat of the bike, threw my purse in the basket, and warily pushed the bike to the corner before hopping on.
I admit that I was rusty at first. I’m sure that I maybe even looked a bit silly wobbling down the road for the first several blocks!
But, there was something nostalgic about being back on a bike again after so many years. The bike itself rode smoothly and had handlebar brakes, so I felt at ease and in control of my ride. It was also fun smiling and nodding at all of the other Indego users as they buzzed by me: “Hey buddy! We are doing the same thing!”
After that experience, I signed up for what’s called an Indego30 membership. For $15 per month, the membership included an unlimited number of one-hour trips.
I went, perhaps, a little overboard at first knowing that I had unlimited rides. I began to check out Indego bikes to do everything from going to the grocery store to just exploring my neighborhood.
Sure, it was fun, but it was also a whole new way to explore Philadelphia.
Most recently, I used Indego to participate in Bike to Work Day with my colleagues. Riding with morning Center City traffic was definitely more challenging than my usual leisure trips, but my boss and coworker rode with me in the bike lane and encouraged me when we got to busier intersections.
I’m no longer confined to public transportation or cars – my Indego membership takes me everywhere.
Now, whenever someone brings up Indego, I encourage everyone to give the bike-share system a try at least once.
There’s so much freedom in being able to peddle yourself anywhere you want to go — don’t be afraid to take that first step!
Nandi O’Connor is Policy Analyst for the Mayor’s Office. She’s a passionate Brewerytown resident and lifelong Philadelphian who enjoys astronomy, musical theater, and poetry.