Florida Library Peddles Bikes

Gearing up for spring, the Winter Park (Fla.) Public Library (WPPL) rolled out a new lending program: eight new bicycles, including a two-seater tandem, along with locks, helmets, and mounted baskets (squeaky bike horns not included).

The bike lending program began February 11 after the library received a $2,500 grant from the Winter Park Health Foundation's Healthy Central Florida initiative. Card-holding library patrons can check out bikes for one day. So far the five-week-old program has averaged around 12 checkouts per week, with the tandem snatched up without fail every weekend.

Patrons have used the bikes mostly for recreational purposes, exploring downtown Winter Park without spending on parking or gasoline. But WPPL expects patrons to use the library's bikes more for practical purposes following the recent construction of a new Amtrak/SunRail station that will bring the Orlando SunRail commuter train to their city by early May. Winter Park residents will be able to more easily travel to, from, and around Orlando while getting exercise and saving money on gas.

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