Pedal-Assist E-Bikes Have Arrived to University at Buffalo

The newest bikes on campus have officially arrived! On Sept. 8, University at Buffalo Parking and Transportation Services and Reddy Bikeshare unveiled a new fleet of 75 bikes, including 25 pedal-assist e-bikes, giving students, faculty and staff a brand-new way to get around campus.

The low-speed pedal-assist bikes provide a gentle electric boost while you pedal, topping off at 15 mph.

Reddy Bikeshare, in Partnership with Independent Health introduced e-bikes—or REDDY+ Bikes—into Buffalo & Niagara Falls in fall 2023, and this week we partnered with UB to introduce UB E-Bikes, expanding the ways the UB community can use bikeshare to move around campus.

And there’s already plenty of evidence that UB loves to ride. Last year, students, faculty and staff logged 44,809 bikeshare trips, setting an all-time record for the program. Even without expanding the fleet 50% and adding e-bikes, this year is on pace to set another record when the season wraps up in mid-November.

This new fleet also marks another milestone in a partnership that helped put bikeshare on the map in Western New York.

UB Bikeshare debuted in 2013, but the story goes back even further. In 2012, UB and our parent organization, Shared Mobility Inc., hosted the nation’s first pilot of a GPS-based bikeshare system, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become Reddy Bikeshare.

More than a decade later, that partnership is still rolling, and most micromobility systems use smart bike technology.

“Bikeshare in Western New York was born through this partnership with UB and we’re excited to see it advance with more micromobility options,” said Simon Husted, Marketing and Communications Manager of Reddy Bikeshare. “UB students have proven the vital role bikeshare plays in helping folks safely and effectively move to where they want to go. Adding pedal-assist e-bikes to the fleet allows more students of varying physical abilities to benefit from bikeshare.”

UB students, faculty and staff can get an annual bikeshare membership for $10 for 12 months, plus an additional $2 per hour to ride pedal bikes or $12 per hour to ride pedal-assist bikes. As an introductory promotion and with support from UB, we’re taking off 5 cents off through the month of September.

And the ride doesn't stop at campus. UB community members can also unlock any of the 490 standard and pedal-assist bikes throughout the Reddy Bikeshare network in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and the City of Tonawanda.