San Antonio, TX – The San Antonio Bike Share and Southwest General Hospital today announced that SWell Cycle will offer complimentary day passes on March 30 in celebration of the college basketball Championship Weekend, which takes place in San Antonio March 30 through April 2. Visitors to any of San Antonio’s 63 SWell Cycle stations, including a new station recently opened at Southwest General Hospital in South San Antonio, will be offered complimentary hour-long rides after inserting their credit or debit card.
“San Antonio is thrilled to host this year’s college basketball Championship Weekend, and we want to give everyone the opportunity to explore all that our vibrant city has to offer,” said J.D. Simpson, Executive Director of San Antonio Bike Share. “Thanks to the support of Southwest General Hospital and Steward Health Care, riders will receive a SWell Cycle day pass at any station on March 30 at no charge, but usage fees will still apply.”
“At Southwest General Hospital, we’re always working to find innovative ways to keep the community healthy and active,” said Craig Desmond, President of Southwest General Hospital, a Steward Family Hospital. “We hope all San Antonio residents and visitors will take advantage of complimentary SWell Cycle rides and experience the city’s beautiful parks and historic sites.”
SWell Cycle is a bike sharing service for San Antonio. With a network of 24/7 on-demand bicycle stations throughout downtown, Museum Reach and Mission Reach, providing an easy, fast way to navigate the city. Your complimentary day pass allows for unlimited 60 minute trips; any trip lasting longer than 60 minutes will incur a $2.00 usage fee for every additional 30 minutes until the bike is returned to a station. Want to keep going – just check out another bike.
San Antonio’s bike share program was first launched in the spring of 2011. Southwest General Hospital and Steward Health Care became official naming rights partners of SWell Cycle in February 2018, and opened the bike share’s newest station at Southwest General this past Friday, March 16th. For more information and for rental availability, visit swellcycle.bcycle.com.
About San Antonio Bike Share
Founded in 2010, San Antonio Bike Share (SABS) is a 501 c (3) non-profit operator under exclusive contract with the City of San Antonio to operate a docked (station-based) bike share program, with 63 stations and 542 bikes spanning from Downtown through the Mission Reach. Launched in 2011, SABS is the longest operating bike share system in the state of Texas, and strives to meet the needs and expectations of its growing user base of members, single trip riders, and visitors to San Antonio, helping to create a movement and culture around bicycling, commuting, and enjoying the city.
San Antonio Bike Share Usage (through 2017): 510,000 +San Antonio SWell Cycle trips; 72 million calories burned; 1.7 MM pounds of carbon offset; 1.8 MM miles traveled; Gas cost-savings of $500,000+; On average, 240 SWell Cycles are ridden daily in San Antonio for 36 minutes per trip.
About Steward Health Care System
Steward Health Care, the largest private, for-profit hospital operator in the United States, is a physician-led health care services organization committed to providing the highest quality of care in the communities where patients live. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Steward operates 38 community hospitals in the United States and the country of Malta, that regularly receive top awards for quality and safety. The company employs approximately 40,000 health care professionals. The Steward network includes more than 25 urgent care centers, 42 preferred skilled nursing facilities, substantial behavioral health services, over 7,300 beds under management, and approximately 1.5 million full risk covered lives through the company's managed care and health insurance services. The total number of paneled lives within Steward's integrated care network is projected to reach 3 million in 2018.
Steward's unique health care service delivery model leverages technology, innovation, and care coordination to keep patients healthier. With a culture that prioritizes agility, resourcefulness, and continuous improvement, Steward is recognized as one of the world’s leading accountable care organizations. The Steward Health Care Network includes thousands of physicians who help to provide more than 12 million patient encounters per year. Steward Medical Group, the company's employed physician group, provides more than 4 million patient encounters per year. The Steward Hospital Group operates hospitals in Malta and states across the U.S. including Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah.