A new area of Colorado Springs will soon be able to access the city’s electric bicycle network.

The nonprofit PikeRide has 97 pickup stations around downtown Colorado Springs, Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs for its fleet of e-bikes. While those three areas are connected, the service has not stretched further east than Union Boulevard.

PikeRide announced earlier this month that it was expanding service to the city’s southeast neighborhoods. PikeRide CEO Tara McCarthy said they were aiming to launch the first few pickup locations with new bicycles before June 24, when the city holds its annual Bike to Work Day.

“They’re not all going to be on the ground right on opening day. We’re still trying to identify station locations through community feedback, to make sure they are in places people want to get to and need to get to,” McCarthy said.

PikeRide, launched in 2018, received grant funding from the Colorado Energy Office to add up to 100 more standard bicycles and four cargo bikes to the fleet. At least half of those bikes will be used to stock the new pickup locations in the southeast.

McCarthy said the southeast was chosen as part of a broader effort to fill gaps in transportation disadvantaged areas of Colorado Springs.

Bike Colorado Springs is a nonprofit that spun out of the Trails and Open Space Coalition to advocate for improved road conditions and access for bicyclists in the city.

Executive committee member Cully Radvillas said the expansion could help give people access to the more expensive motor-assisted bicycles. One concern, however, was the extent of the dedicated bike lanes in that section of Colorado Springs.

“The southeast has had challenges with its transportation infrastructure over the years. It’s been very car-centric. So the addition of e-bikes and PikeRide may be something that catalyzes and helps get more infrastructure,” Radvillas said.

PikeRide offers a series of subscription memberships to use the bikes, ranging from a day pass for tourists to an annual subscription for residents who use the bikes to regularly get around town. The group offers a reduced-cost membership for residents who can prove they need financial assistance.

According to PikeRide’s previous presentations to the Colorado Springs City Council, about two-thirds of the annual riders are residents.

PikeRide has seen a 10% increase in ridership this year compared to the first few months of 2025 and a similar rise in the number of memberships riders have signed up for. McCarthy said the increase was partly about the warmer weather and partly about the high cost of gas.

“Everybody is looking at saving money these days,” McCarthy said. “… And you can buy a monthly membership for $35 a month.”

So far, the same increase in ridership has not come through for the Lime scooters available through downtown Colorado Springs. Data shared by the city showed that the scooter rentals are flat or compared to 2025.

As of May 8, the electric scooters had provided 51,000 rides so far this year. City data shows there have been two days this year with more than 1,000 rides taken.

In 2025, the Lime scooters provided 243,000 rides. The beginning of the year was similarly slow to this year, with the biggest demand for the scooters coming between June and September.