12 | City of San Antonio Two years ago, San Antonio created the first modern-day bike share system in Texas which has grown rapidly. Mayor Castro says that additional investments in the City’s 242 miles of bike routes (and more than 100 miles of trails) helped secure Bicycling Magazine’s recognition of San Antonio to its list of Top 50 bike-friendly cities in America. According to Mary Hammer, the bike program not only helps address concerns about alternative transportation, but also health and wellness, another one of the Mayor’s priorities. San Antonio has already built some 30 bicycling stations around the city, and is expected to roll out another dozen by the end of the year. Beyond offering means to get around in a healthy way, the program has helped reduce pollutants arising from automotive exhaust. The program, in conjunction with other alternative transportation initiatives, has reduced miles, which would have otherwise been driven by cars, in excess of 20 million miles. In the realm of alternative transportation, San Antonio has also facilitated opportunities for increased usage of electric cars. This has included a partnership with Hertz which offers residents opportunity to utilize an all-electric vehicle while using the downtown-based program. San Antonio also provides free downtown parking for hybrid and electric vehicles and through the partnership with CPS Energy more than 130 publically accessible electric vehicle charging stations can be found Repairs are made through San Antonio Home Weatherization initiative
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