First scooters, now bikes? Could another transportation sharing system succeed in Lansing?

LANSING -- First came the Bird and Lime electric scooters. 

Now the Lansing region's leaders may take transportation a step further.

The Capital Area Transportation Authority has plans to study whether a bike sharing program is needed to meet the needs of Ingham County residents. 

CATA officials encourage people to take part in their bike share feasibility study at cata.org/bikeshare so the organization can decide with other local leaders whether such a program is needed. 

"We’re providing a vehicle for the dialogue to take place," said Lolo Robison, a CATA spokesperson. 

Detail about how a bike share program would be funded, when it would launch and the type of bikes that would be used haven't been determined, Robison said.  

Robison said such a program would most likely focus on residents in Lansing, East Lansing and Meridian Township. 

Visitors of CATA's website can offer suggestions for bike share locations. 

Bike sharing programs allow people to use bicycles for a price or fee and park them in designated  area so others can use them. 

MoGo, Detroit's bike sharing system, launched a pilot program in the Motor City last fall.

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The Detroit Free Press reported that MoGo aims to make biking more accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including those who may assume cycling is not for them. 

Two companies, Bird and Lime, launched their motorized electric scooter programs in Lansing and East Lansing last fall. 

Lansing officials signed off on licensing agreements with Bird and Lime that allowed for the use of up to 500 scooters this year. 

Robison said CATA officials and other leaders started discussions about a potential bike share program long before Bird and Lime scooters surfaced in the region.  

"That just kind of seems to be converging at the same time.” Robinson said of the transportation options. 

Eric Lacy is a reporter for the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at 517-377-1206 or elacy@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricLacy.