As of June 26, residents and visitors of Sleepy Eye have access to a new program that promotes physical activity and healthy recreation.
After weeks of discussion with City officials, the Parks Board, SEMC Board and the Sleepy Eye Healthcare Foundation Board earlier this spring, Sleepy Eye Medical Center announced its plan to bring On Bike Share to the community of Sleepy Eye.
On Bike Share is an automated bicycle check out and return system by Dynamic Bicycles, Inc.®
According to Mikayla Mages, Community Relations Coordinator at SEMC, the idea arose during a Wellness Committee meeting at SEMC.
“We were brainstorming ways to motivate our own employees to stay active during the spring and summer months. With the bike trail so close to the hospital, it made sense to incorporate biking,” said Mages.
“Before long, talk of one bike for employees turned into six for the entire community. Why not implement a program on the community level, we thought,” said Mages.
SEMC administration presented the program to the Sleepy Eye Healthcare Foundation Board in March and asked for funding in April.
“We felt this program fit with the mission of the Foundation, which is not only to support the needs of the hospital but also to enhance the lives of those in the communities we serve. What better way to do this than by taking a spin around the bike trail or neighborhood,” said Kevin Sellheim, SEMC Administrator. “Foundation Board members were all on board with this project from the beginning, seeing this as a way to give back to the community and provide another option for healthy activity.”
Six bikes, featuring solar-powered Bluetooth locks, plush comfort seats, Shimano 7-speed internal gearing and puncture-resistant tires, are located at a docking station at Sportsman’s Park, providing easy access to the trail for community members, park visitors and campers from sunrise to sunset, spring to fall.
To check out a bike, users need to download the Movatic Rider App on an iOS or Android device. The App includes a billing module to collect rider fees via credit or debit card. Bikes cost $1.50 per rental, plus $0.50 per half hour used.
Once the App is downloaded and payment information is entered, the rider simply connects to Bluetooth and selects a bike from their phone to begin rental. To return a bike and end rental, the rider parks the bike in an available rack and ends the rental from the App.
“One particularly helpful feature is that the App also allows users to check how many bikes are available or in use at any given time,” said Sellheim.
Step-by-step instructions for users are available at the docking station. In addition, bike helmets can be purchased at SEMC during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. SEMC encourages all bikers to wear a helmet and follow the rules of the road.