Palmetto Clean Fuels recently presented the 2019 Green Fleet Leader award to Holy Spokes Bikeshare of Charleston.
The Green Fleet Leader award is presented to the stakeholder organization that best demonstrates leadership and excellence in clean transportation and alternative fuel activities in South Carolina. Awardees acknowledge the environmental, economic, and national security benefits of reducing consumption of fossil fuels and have implemented programs and initiatives to lower the use of “traditional” transportation fuels such as gasoline and diesel.
Holy Spokes’ bikeshare system, launched in 2017, is a partnership between the Gotcha Group, City of Charleston, and the Medical University of South Carolina. The bikeshare program provides the opportunity for individuals – those with and without access to other modes of transportation — to take point-to-point trips and long scenic rides without using a drop of fuel. As an added benefit, participating in this bikesharing program can also be a great workout! Holy Spokes’ innovative mobile app and sign-up system makes it easy for someone to pick up a bike from any of the convenient bike hubs and return it to any other hub within the system area.
The bikeshare program also provides opportunities to bridge the first mile/last mile gap. The “last mile” is a term used in transportation to describe the problem which public transit users often face: the distance between a commuter’s transit stop and his or her home. Holy Spokes offer a solution for those that may have no other form of transportation to complete their trip. Other cities have also noticed the success of bikeshare in South Carolina, including Greenville, Spartanburg, Rock Hill, and Columbia.
The Green Fleet Leader Award was presented to the Gotcha Group, Medical University of South Carolina, and the City of Charleston for their efforts to reduce dependence on single occupancy vehicles and encourage this alternative mode of transportation. Palmetto Clean Fuels is excited about the advancement of clean transportation projects in South Carolina like this, and Holy Spokes’ success is proof that South Carolina is ready for a cleaner future.