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Bike Share Program Encourages Cycling in Scranton

SCRANTON — A tourism group from Lackawanna County wants people to explore Scranton on two wheels instead of four. The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority...

SCRANTON -- A tourism group from Lackawanna County wants people to explore Scranton on two wheels instead of four.

The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority is getting ready to launch a new bike share program.

The LHVA is the group responsible for putting in trails along the Lackawanna River that run throughout the city. If you don't have a bike to ride the trails, you can borrow one from four different locations in Scranton starting later this month.

There's a lot of activity on the several miles of trail the runs throughout Scranton but you won't see a whole lot of bikes.

You can see them neatly lined up, with helmets still in boxes, in the lobby of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority on Seventh Avenue.

"We could be, we definitely could be a bike-friendly city here in Scranton. Hopefully, through this program and some of the other initiatives that we're starting, we will be a bike-friendly city. We are getting there, we are just not fully there yet," said LHVA official Owen Worozbyt.

The new bike share program is part of that push. Starting later this month, wannabe bikers can borrow one for free for the day and use the two wheels to take them anywhere in the city.

The LHVA thought it was a natural fit for those who use the bike share program to ride on the heritage valley trail along the Lackawanna River but they also want bikers to explore other parts of the city.

bike share locations

"It's a great opportunity for folks to pick up a bike at the hotel and go check out what our area has to offer, or if you wanted to just bike around downtown, get a little bit more familiar with some of the businesses. It's not all that easy to navigate downtown in a car, but on a bike you can go at your own pace and have as much time as you want."

Ariann Adams from Gouldsboro comes to Scranton to walk on the heritage trail and she thinks the bike share program could mean that more people would join her.

"I think it's a great idea, I mean, people are always looking for more ways to be active. Especially free, who can't pass that up? So, it's awesome," Adams said.

The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority says bikes will be available at the office on Earth Day, April 22. You'll be able to pick up a bike at the other locations by the end of the month.

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