With the 2021 system expansion wrapping up, we want to recap this past year and share details about future Indego expansion plans!  

Catching Up

In 2021, we expanded the system by adding more than 25 new stations and 300 new electric bikes to the fleet. We prioritized growing the service area to reach more underserved communities and added more stations within the existing service area to support the subsequent increases in ridership from residential stations. 

Community input has been and will continue to be the cornerstone of Indego’s approach to expansion. This spring, Indego and the City’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS) worked closely with seven different Expansion Liaisons that represented a diverse group of community leaders and residents from each of the different expansion zones.

Expansion Liaisons helped connect our team with key community stakeholders and residents which resulted in the Indego engagement team attending over 50 community meetings and nearly 1,000 station suggestions submitted this season!  

Mr. Gregory Cojulun, President of Friends of Malcolm X Park and a community leader in West Philadelphia, had this to share about his experience working with Indego:

It was a pleasure to work with the Indego team. The process was straightforward with everyone listening to each other and working together. I felt like the team was genuinely interested in the needs and concerns of the community and as a result, people here LOVE using the bikes!  

So many of our residents hardly get to see other parts of the city, now they can take a ride and see that there’s a whole big world with different people and places to learn about. This is important to help the community see themselves and the city in a way they’ve never seen before. 

Thanks to the Indego team for all they’ve done for our community! 

This work would not be possible without the efforts of everyone who was involved in our 2021 expansion. We deeply appreciate all the enthusiasm and support we received from partners and residents across South and West Philadelphia and feel incredibly grateful to have felt so welcome in these communities and for the opportunity to expand Indego. From those of you who submitted station suggestions, to our dedicated team of community Expansion Liaisons, to our operations team who installed new stations on the ground – thank you all! 

What’s Next

In 2022 Indego will grow by more than 30 new stations and 400 more electric bikes. The focus will be expanding Indego service further west, filling in more of South Philadelphia, and along Kelly Drive to East Falls. These areas have been identified for the next round of expansion because they geographically build upon the existing service area, have received a positive response through the suggest-a-station feature, and align with our commitment to providing service to Black and historically underserved communities. Additionally, as the service area expands with new stations, we will continue to add more stations within the existing service area to support the increase in overall ridership. 

This is the second phase of a multi-year expansion plan in which the size of the system will more than double and Indego will provide service in more communities within South, West, North, and Northwest Philadelphia. After this multi-year expansion, Indego will have a system of 3,500 bikes and 350 stations. 

Intended expansion plan (actual scale & scope of expansion may be affected by supply chain issues and/or delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic).  

In June, the City of Philadelphia announced that Bicycle Transit Systems had been awarded a ten-year concessionaire contract to continue operating the Indego bike share system. Under this exclusive agreement, Bicycle Transit is expected to bring more than $19 million in investment in equipment, engagement, education, and operating expertise to Philadelphia through 2030.  

“The City’s bike share system, Indego, continues to provide Philadelphians new and safe mobility options for all. Indego played an especially significant role in 2020 and going forward as the region is seeing increased demand for biking due to COVID-19,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “I’m proud of the work of the City, Bicycle Transit Systems staff, partners, and community leaders to ensure that as the system expands into new neighborhoods it remains accessible and affordable for low-income riders.” 

This work is possible because of the long-term financial investment and shared vision of health equity by Independence Blue Cross.  

“At Independence, our commitment to health equity extends to our support of community efforts – like Indego – that make our region healthy and livable for everyone,” said Gregory E. Deavens, president and CEO of Independence Blue Cross. “The expanded Indego bike share system will provide even more diverse neighborhoods with access to this healthy and inclusive transportation option.”

Indego is committed to racial and economic equity and is part of the Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP), which seeks to develop bike share equitably and sustainably across the country. Indego is proud to work alongside our partners as we strive to provide an accessible and affordable transportation option that can serve all Philadelphians. 

How to Get Involved

Our 2022 expansion plan represents geographic growth, but specific station planning happens with our partners and community stakeholders. We want community members to be part of this process and encourage anyone who is interested to submit a station location on the suggest-a-station page.  

We are extremely excited to begin our 2022 expansion and look forward to hearing from you! Stay tuned for updates on the 2022 expansion early next year. To stay connected, follow @RideIndego on social media and subscribe to our monthly newsletter. 

You can read the City‘s official press release, here.

Bicycle Transit Systems is a Philadelphia-based business that specializes in bike share launch, operations, and management. Comprised of the most experienced bike share operations team in the industry, Bicycle Transit Systems manages all operational elements of Indego, including bike and station maintenance, marketing, and customer service.