As part of the Village of Royal Palm Beach’s endeavor to be both greener and to better serve the community, the public now has the ability to access bicycles as part of a ride-share program offered by the Parks & Recreation Department.

“Since the opening of Commons Park in March 2013, the village has made numerous changes in the park, such as the addition of an amphitheater, dog park, kayak launch and two disc golf courses,” Parks & Recreation Director Lou Recchio said. “Most recently, we have completed a paved bike and walking pathway around the perimeter of the park, which has attracted numerous visitors.”

This led to the idea of setting up a bicycle rental program at the park.

“Seeing the number of visitors who use the pathway for their daily exercise through walking and/or bike riding, we felt that we can better serve our visitors by having bikes available for those who may not have a bike of their own and would enjoy a ride around the park,” Recchio said.

To take advantage of the On Bike Share program, residents just need to download the app to a smart phone, and then come to the Sporting Center located in the park to activate the account. It only costs $20 annually to utilize the bikes, which are owned by the village and maintained by On Bike Share. There is no single-day price option at this time.

“On your first day, come to the Sporting Center at Commons Park. Pay the $20 registration fee, and we can activate the account,” Program Coordinator Ashley Turnquest said. “After June, the cost drops to only $10 for the rest of the calendar year.”

There are currently 14 bikes available on two different bicycle racks. Bikes can be picked up when the park opens and must be returned by 9 p.m., when the park closes. For underage riders, a parent or guardian will need to register them. There is no limit on how many times the bikes can be used.

“It’s something we wanted to test out, and we’ve received a good response since starting in mid-December, with nearly 100 people signing up,” said Turnquest, who has ridden the bikes herself. “They are pretty smooth. They have gears so you can work out or take a leisurely ride around the park. I sometimes do that on my lunch break.”

There can only be one rental per app at a time, and patrons will…