A new service is coming to downtown Biloxi that will take advantage of the growing number of bike lanes in the city.
The Biloxi Visitors Center on Friday will begin offering bike rentals, with bikes available in an automated rental service through the bike share provider Zagster. Initially, the bike share stations, the first of their kind in the state, will be available at the Visitors Center and MGM Park.
Local cyclists are invited to join Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich and representatives of the Biloxi Shuckers on a bike ride from the bike share station at Biloxi Visitors Center to the bike share station at MGM Park Friday afternoon at 4:30, as part of a kickoff event.
Essentially, each station will have five bicycles for rent. Participants will download the Zagster app, fill in contact and payment information and receive a code to unlock a bicycle for daily use.
Rides are $3 per hour up to eight hours. An annual membership is also available for $25 where rides of less than one hour are free.
“Bike sharing is a great addition to the downtown area,” Mayor Gilich said. “It enables our many visitors to get out of their hotel rooms, leave their cars in the garage, and explore Biloxi at a leisurely pace. It will also address the active lifestyles of many of our visitors while encouraging longer stays and more visitation to local businesses. And it will provide a recreational alternative for our residents.”
An unveiling ceremony announcing this new city service will be held at the Biloxi Visitors Center, 1050 Beach Blvd., Friday at 4:30 p.m. followed by a bike ride north on Porter Avenue, then east on Howard Avenue to MGM Park. Mayor Gilich will lead the bike parade to the park, utilizing bike lanes on both roads.
All interested riders are invited to participate at no cost; helmets are recommended. Refreshments will be served at the park after the bike ride.
Bike lanes: The city now has marked bike lanes on Veterans Avenue, and on parts of Porter Avenue, Howard Avenue, Reynoir Street, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Main Street.
See more about Zagster
See a map of downtown bike lanes
Learn more about biking