BATON ROUGE - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has submitted a report to the city outlining the next steps involved in the creation of a Bike Share program for Baton Rouge.

The EPA report includes resources and information on other successful Bike Share programs throughout the nation, and it highlights the possible pitfalls that could hamper implementation of the program in the Capital City.

Earlier this year, Baton Rouge received a grant from the EPA through its Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program to investigate the possible creation of a local bicycle share program. Bike Share programs offer locals and visitors alike the capability to rent bikes for commuting to work or enjoying general recreation throughout the city.

Several cities that received EPA planning grants are already experiencing success such as Boulder, Boise, Chattanooga, Minneapolis, Washington D.C. and Houston. Besides Baton Rouge, the EPA also awarded planning grants for Bike Share programs to Fresno, California, Passaic County in New Jersey and St. Petersburg, Florida this year.

The full report can be read on the Downtown Development District’s website at www.downtownbatonrouge.org/projects/epa-bike-share-memorandum/.