Today we’d like to introduce you to Carter Stern.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a native Houstonian and grew up riding bikes all over the City. In 2011 I started a career in law but quickly found myself getting involved in cycling and parks advocacy here in Houston. In June of 2016, after roughly 5 years of practicing law, I decided to follow my passions and take the executive director job at Houston Bike Share. It was a really exciting leap because the organization was primed for huge growth after 3.5 years of steady growth in ridership.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a great experience but it has not always been a smooth road. By definition, when you’re working with many partners in a big city like Houston, there are going to be unexpected delays and setbacks. Despite that, I get to do work that I really believe is making a profound difference in Houston, with a fantastic group of people. I wake up every morning energized and ready to get to work.
Houston Bike Share – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Houston Bike Share operates the Houston BCycle bike sharing program on behalf of the City of Houston. This involves seeking federal and state grants to implement the program, planning the implementation of new equipment, maintaining and repairing stations and bikes, making sure stations are always stocked with bikes, and handling customer service complaints.
I am most proud of the team we have put together and the quality of our operation. We take a data-driven approach to making sure that our bikes are always in top condition and available where and when our riders need them. Bike sharing is a relatively new industry so there are tons of opportunities to be creative and experiment.
We have also made it a priority to make bike share accessible to traditionally underserved communities, including altering our pricing model and adding stations in neighborhoods where none existed just a year ago.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Following Hurricane Harvey, many Houstonians were left without vehicles for their everyday transportation to work, school, etc. and I recognized a need that Houston Bike Share could help with. We leveraged our relationships with bike manufacturers and local cyclists to collect over 600 new and used bike donations which we assembled/repaired and then gave away to those in need. My entire staff dedicated a ton of extra time and effort to this cause that was outside of our regular business but allowed us to make a difference for hundreds of Houstonians in a time of need.
Pricing:
- Walk-up BCycle users can check out a bike for $3 per 30 minutes
- Monthly Memberships are $9 for unlimited 60-minute trips
- Annual Memberships are $99 for unlimited 60-minute trips
Contact Info:
- Address: 407 Velasco St. Houston, TX 77006
- Website: houston.bcycle.com
- Phone: 713-865-3662
- Email: cstern@houstonbikeshare.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houstonbcycle/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houstonbcycle/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/houstonbcycle
- Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g56003-d12416143-Reviews-Houston_BCycle-Houston_Texas.html
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