The Board of Estimates recently approved a grant agreement between the State of Maryland and Baltimore City for the establishment of a bikeshare program.

From Baltimore City’s press release:

Bike sharing is a public bike rental system used for short distance trips in major metropolitan areas. The Charm City Bikeshare program will be owned by the City of Baltimore and operated by a selected vendor. The program is expected to launch in the spring of 2014.

The initial phase of the project will include more than 250 bikes and 25 biking stations located in the downtown, midtown, and southeast areas of the city. The funding approved by today’s grant agreement will enable the city to purchase the bikes and construct the biking stations and infrastructure needed for the program.

In Baltimore, cycling is a growing form of alternative transportation, and the city has worked diligently over the past several years to expand and improve its bicycle infrastructure. The establishment of Baltimore’s bike share program continues to build upon the city’s investments in environmentally friendly transportation systems, including the installation of on-street bike parking in Charles Village and dedicated bike and bus lanes along Pratt and Lombard Streets. In addition, over 100 miles of on-street bikeways have been installed, along with 39 miles of off-street bike trails. The new Charm City Bikeshare program will contribute to an innovative transportation system in the City of Baltimore.

For more information regarding the bikeshare program, click here.