Official Health Sponsor of BIKETOWN
Expands company’s commitment to healthy, sustainable transportation choices
March 16, 2017, PORTLAND, OR -- Today, the Portland Bureau of Transportation, Kaiser Permanente and Motivate, the operators of the BIKETOWN program announced that Kaiser Permanente will become the official and sole sponsor of BIKETOWN in the health insurance and health care facility operation category. This sponsorship builds on Kaiser Permanente’s longstanding commitment to supporting programs that promote healthy, sustainable transportation choices. Kaiser Permanente has been the lead sponsor of Portland Sunday Parkways since its inception in 2008 and sponsored the Portland SmartTrips Ten Toe Express walking program for ten years, beginning in 2005.
PBOT Commissioner Dan Saltzman said, “From the start, BIKETOWN has been a hit with Portlanders and visitors alike. Not only is BIKETOWN a great transportation option, but by getting people out and pedaling through Portland, it promotes public health. We’re excited to have Kaiser Permanente on board to help us spread this message and demonstrate the power of public-private partnerships.”
The sponsorship includes recognition for Kaiser Permanente on 25 BIKETOWN stations and in the BIKETOWN mobile app (see visuals below), as well as the opportunity for marketing co-promotions and special events. Kaiser Permanente is also joining BIKETOWN’s group membership program, promoting bike share membership and offering a discount to their employees.
“Kaiser Permanente’s mission is to improve the health of our communities, and that’s why BIKETOWN’s focus on active living and alternative transportation make it a natural partner for us,” said Keith Forrester, Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Business Development for Kaiser Permanente Northwest. “We’re proud to be a part of this movement that’s helping Portlanders thrive.”
The additional funding will help support high-quality BIKETOWN operations year-round at no on-going cost to taxpayers.
“It’s clear that bike share is about more than just transportation, it also gives riders a sense of wellness -- physical and mental health,” said Jay Walder, President & CEO of Motivate. “We celebrate Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to BIKETOWN which will help get even more Portlanders involved in this healthy, fun way to get around.”
To date BIKETOWN currently has 2,745 annual members and has been accessed by 45,542 people, who have taken 189,320 trips totaling 375,121 miles. People can sign-up for BIKETOWN membership via the BIKETOWN app or by visiting BIKETOWNPDX.com.
Learn more about BIKETOWN at www.biketownpdx.com.
Kaiser Permanente stations are noted in the BIKETOWN mobile app and on the BIKETOWN web map. BIKETOWN riders can click through for more information about Kaiser Permanente’s services and other initiatives in Portland.
About PBOT
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the City’s transportation system, and a community partner in shaping a livable city. We plan, build, manage and maintain an effective and safe transportation system that provides access and mobility. www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 11.3 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia, including more than 550,000 medical and 260,000 dental members in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, dentists, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical and dental teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.
About Nike
Nike is the founding partner of BIKETOWN and believes in the power of sport and physical activity to help strengthen communities. As a longtime partner with the City of Portland, BIKETOWN highlights the company’s commitment to make Portland even more active, vibrant and innovative. As part of this collaboration, Nike designed the innovative visual identity for the program’s standard bike which is the highly identifiable orange that is synonymous with Nike. In addition, Nike oversees the design and branding of the system’s logo, stations and physical presence, as well as a select number of limited edition bike wrap designs, beginning with the Nike Air Max 95, Nike Air Trainer 1 and Nike Air Safari.
About Motivate
Motivate is a global leader in bike share. A full-service bike share operator and technology innovator, Motivate works to re-envision how people experience and move around cities. Motivate operates over 75% of the bike share fleet in North America, including the four largest systems in the US: Citi Bike in New York, Divvy in Chicago, Capital Bikeshare in the D.C. area, and Hubway in the Boston area. Motivate will also be expanding bike share in the Bay Area to a 7,000 bike program called Ford GoBike this year. www.motivateco.com