The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) invites the public to celebrate the 10th birthday of BIKETOWN, Portland's beloved bike-share system known for its ubiquitous electric-assist bikes.
BIKETOWN was launched on July 19, 2016. To commemorate 10 years of bike-share service, PBOT will host a massive group ride on Sunday, July 19, where all Portlanders are welcome to ride downtown in the morning and celebrate at the Portland Pride Parade.
To mark this milestone and make bike-sharing even more convenient, BIKETOWN will replace all first-generation e-bikes with new e-bikes this year. The zippy gray e-bikes have double the battery life, a stronger motor, onboard information display and more seat-height options. Crews recently started replacing the older e-bikes and will complete the replacement in phases.
Since arriving in Portland in 2024, the Cosmo e-bikes have been a hit with BIKETOWN riders. In 2025 the new e-bikes made up only 30% of the fleet--yet accounted for 50% of all BIKETOWN trips.
Community members often ask for "more gray bikes" when they see BIKETOWN staff at events. The upgrade also means more bikes will be available more often, as the new e-bikes have larger battery capacity and require charging less frequently.
The fleet upgrade is made possible by a Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) allocation that is matched by Lyft, BIKETOWN’s operator. The fund already supports BIKETOWN’s equity programs: BIKETOWN for All and Adaptive BIKETOWN.
Source: Portland Bureau of Transportation