Get your bike sharing system
A bike-sharing pilot in Žd'ár nad Sázavou
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Žd'ár mayor Martin Mrkos: "The bikes were talked about, written about and everyone wanted to try them"
'Introducing a public bike sharing system is one of the key measures to increase cycling’s modal share from 5% to 15% by 2030'
'The key factor was probably the fact that every ride up to 30 minutes is free and a dense network of stations was created in the city'
'We praise the excellent cooperation with Rekola, including the personal commitment of Rekola's local coordinator'
The city of Žďár was first mentioned in 1253 and is best known for the Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
With a population of 22,000, Žďár is a small city covering approximately 37 km². It is situated on the banks of the river Sázava in the hilly landscape of the Křižanov Highlands.
In the 2024 Cycling Ranking, which evaluates bicycle-friendly infrastructure across Czech towns and cities, Žďár ranked 47th out of 127. While dedicated bike paths and bicycle stands are scarce, cycling is generally permitted on sidewalks.
Žďár aims to reduce car usage for short trips within the city by promoting non-motorized transport, supporting both public health and environmental sustainability. To achieve this, the City Council developed a Cycling Strategy, Cyklo2030, which sets a goal to increase cycling’s modal share from 5% to 15% by 2030. Key measures in the strategy include expanding cycling infrastructure and introducing a bikesharing system.
Bikesharing is therefore regarded as an essential public service, alongside public transport, education, and healthcare.
Žďár based its bikesharing fleet size on market research and insights from similar cities, opting for 50 mechanical bikes and 10 e-bikes. To encourage ridership, the first 30 minutes on a mechanical bike were free, following the model of other successful bikesharing systems in Czechia. E-bikes were subsidized to cost just 1 Czech crown per minute (4 eurocents), making them an affordable alternative. The city designated the first year as a trial period to fine-tune the system, and a small-scale tender was conducted to select a provider.
The contract for the 2024 season was awarded to Rekola in April, with an intense one-month rollout. Despite the tight timeline, the launch was a success, thanks to strong collaboration between the city and Rekola, as well as a flexible, problem-solving approach that accounted for local nuances.
A dedicated city manager ensured that all relevant departments were aligned and shared a common vision. The greens manager, road manager, and traffic engineer, together with building management and the police, worked closely with Rekola to define the 43 rental locations.
Meanwhile, the municipal press secretary partnered with Rekola to develop a communication and marketing strategy, which included a press release, social media campaigns, and coverage in local newsletters. Of course the mayor rode bike to the press conference on the first day.
As the system gained traction, only minor adjustments to rental locations were necessary. The city’s role quickly transitioned from setup to data analysis, ongoing communication, and preparations for the next tender. The early success confirmed that local residents enthusiastically embraced bikesharing as a new mode of transport.
[Pictures underneath each other. Plus text: Martin Mrkos, mayor of Zd'ar: 'We could not have predicted the interest and success in advance, but we believed in it and succeeded beyond our expectations.'
Jan Tomán, Rekola local coordinator: 'It was a joy to see how quickly the local people accepted our pink bikes and adapted their transport behaviour to riding them. I must say I was a little bit surprised how successful it became!'
Bikesharing was officially introduced in Žďár in May 2024, only 4 weeks after the official awarding of the contract. The first season ended on 14 December, lasting 7 months in total. During this period 56 500 rides were made, averaging almost 250 rides per day. This figure doubled on peak days. Almost 6000 local users registered on the Rekola app.
After the success of the first months, 5 extra bikes were added to the fleet. The most popular destinations were the train station, two local parks, and the 'House of Culture' in the middle of a big residential neighbourhood. During one summer festival, 45 out of 55 bikes all gathered there, showing how the flexibility of a bikesharing system is put to good use by the residents in special circumstances. The mechanical bikes (45, 30 minutes for free) turned out to attract the same kind of riderships per bike as the e-bikes (10, 1 Czech Crown per minute).
The mayor mentions three factors as key:
Every ride up to 30 minutes was free
A dense network of stations was created in the city
It's a very appealing service to offer: people were really looking forward to the bikes and shared their experiences with each other, growing the ridership.
After a successful pilot project Žďár launched a tender for a public bikesharing service for 2025 and 2026. They have expanded the fleet to 78 mechanical bikes and 20 e-bikes and are eager to get even more citizens cycling!
