It’s the end of the road for the Zagster bikeshare program in Princeton.
Zagster informed users on Monday that effectively immediately, the bikeshare program in Princeton has been shut down. Rides have been disabled and all rider accounts have been terminated, according to the company. Bike stations and bikes will be removed this week.
“The effects of COVID-19 on all our communities has been tragic. Sadly, the pandemic has also adversely impacted Zagster’s business, and we regret to inform you that we will be shutting down the Princeton bikeshare effective immediately,” reads an email sent Monday to Princeton Zagster users.
The Cambridge, Mass. company canceled bikeshare programs in several towns across the country on Monday. Back in March, Zagster suspended rentals temporarily because of the pandemic.
Zagster had more than a dozen bike rack locations and more than 75 bikes in Princeton. In 2019, the company expanded its operations in the area, providing bikes for the Mercer County parks system. Stations were located at Mercer Lake and the Maidenhead Trail Pole Farm. The bikes were maintained by an independent contractor hired by Zagster.
An update was posted on the Princeton University website on Monday that did not mention Zagster, but only said that due to current public health guidelines, bike rentals at Princeton University are unavailable. “University officials are working on alternative mobility solutions to safely meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff on campus in the fall and beyond,” reads the statement.
Zagster was never the right model of bikeshare for Princeton. The large amount of space required for the docks, and the low number of them, made it impractical for most trips. Now that dockless bikesharing is possible with apps, I hope Princeton will adopt one of those systems when sharing becomes feasible again.