Summit County residents who receive Medicaid benefits or are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program now have access to discounted Summit Bike Share passes.
“Transportation is such a critical piece of our daily lives, our moods, how we make money and how we get around,” said County Transportation Planning Director Carl Miller. “If we can provide a safe, comfortable, equitable approach that is the best way for people to get around in the community for our sustainability goals, we really want to support that.”
The Access Pass is $7 per month, but riders aren’t locked into a subscription and may opt in or out of the program as needed. The price is the same as the one-hour rate for visitors and deeply discounted compared to the $150 season pass, which is the only other pass specifically reserved for locals.
Ailish Ferrick, a University of Utah graduate student studying city and metropolitan planning, helped the county develop and launch the program earlier this year. Ferrick will monitor Access Pass usage and participant feedback to create a comprehensive report for the county, including suggestions for future seasons.
“We want the intended audience to see it, so a lot of the work I’m doing right now over the summer is outreach,” Ferrick said. “I have a list of the affordable housing units in Summit County, and I’ve been reaching out to them saying, ‘Hey, we have this program. Can I bring posters and flyers to your apartment building and put them up in your elevator?’”
Miller said the Access Pass is limited to Medicaid and SNAP recipients because that’s the standard used by other bike share programs to easily document and verify an individual’s income level. However, Ferrick said she intends to study ways to expand the program so more residents are eligible.
“We want more people who qualify for this to have access and to know about it while making sure this program isn’t used by visitors from across the world or the United States,” Miller said. “These are intended to serve those who often serve us with tourist jobs, restaurant jobs or service jobs and making sure they have access to their place of employment or where they live.”
Miller said the Transportation Department worked closely with a software developer to ensure people can quickly and easily submit documentation through the Summit Bike Share app to receive the Access Pass. But the most difficult part of launching a new program is spreading the word, according to Miller, which is why having Ferrick on board to spearhead outreach efforts has been beneficial for the county.
“It was a soft launch without a lot of backing at the beginning of the season,” Miller said. “People have been qualifying for this and have been receiving their memberships, but I do anticipate that this ramps up considerably.”
Ferrick is also the point person for community feedback. She’s started to interview riders about what they like about the Access Pass, as well as any improvements they think the county should make to the program. She said a comprehensive survey will likely be sent to Access Pass riders after the season ends this fall.
“It’s a full calendar year that I’ll be working on this,” Ferrick said. “When people visit Park City, the people serving them their food and making their beds fade into the background for them, but if those people weren’t there, their experiences wouldn’t be as good. … If the county can support them by helping them get around a little easier, I think that’s a huge way our government can pay them back and thank them for the work they’re doing because Park City wouldn’t be a tourist destination without them.”
Information about Summit Bike Share is available on summitbikeshare.com. Ferrick said housing managers interested in advertising the program can reach her by emailing [email protected].