The Friends of Reading Hospital announced that it will fund the return of Reading Hospital’s popular Bike Share Program, which was temporarily paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are extremely happy to help support the return of the Bike Share Program,” said Sharon Keating, President of The Friends of Reading Hospital. “Our community is connected in many ways and the reintroduction of this program allows hospital employees to reconnect with local businesses and organizations just blocks from Reading Hospital.”
The Bike Share Program, which relaunched on August 16, allows employees to select a safe and active mode of transportation that is environmentally friendly and provides numerous health benefits from the low-impact aerobic exercise.
The program also encourages employees to reduce their overall carbon footprint while increasing support and awareness of local businesses in our community, and by providing easy transportation to nearby walking and biking trails. Previously, more than 200 employees took part in the program and experienced the numerous financial, physical, and emotional benefits of biking.
“The Bike Share Program was very successful when we first introduced it in 2016,” said Charles F. Barbera, MD, President and CEO of Reading Hospital. “Our employees saw numerous benefits from the program, so we are very excited to once again provide our employees another opportunity to connect with our surrounding community while experiencing all the health benefits that come from biking.”
How it works
Ten bikes have been placed on Reading Hospital’s campus and can be found at one of two stations: At the entrance of the 7th Avenue Parking Garage or Vanity Fair, outside of the TowerDIRECT building.
For Tower Health employees, bike rental from a Reading Hospital or WYOways station is free for the first three hours, then $5 per hour for each additional hour.
Through the Tower Health membership, employees will be automatically enrolled in the PA Regional Membership, which provides access to other bike share programs including: WYOways, Bike It Lancaster, Hershey Bikes, and Susquecycle. In addition, community members who join a PA Regional Membership bike share program will be able to access bikes at Reading Hospital.
The bikes are fully equipped with technology that makes them user-friendly and easily accessible. Hospital employees can download the Movatic app, available on both iOS and Android devices, to create an account and register for the Tower Health membership using their employee email.
When finished with their ride, employees can return their bike to any Reading Hospital or WYOways station. Reading Hospital strongly encourages all employees to wear helmets while riding.
