Information provided by the City of Seattle's Office of the Mayor.

Alaska Airlines and Pronto! Emerald City Cycle Share unveiled the bicycle branding today at the South Lake Union Discovery Center in preparation for the September 2014 launch of Seattle’s first bike share program.

The announcement was made by Pronto! Emerald City Cycle Share executive director Holly Houser, Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden and Seattle Mayor Ed Murray.

“For several years, dedicated bike share supporters have been pulling together the pieces of this program, including funding, local partnerships, hardware and the technology,” Houser said. “The presenting sponsorship by Alaska Airlines and passionate support from Mayor Murray put bike share across the finish line and guaranteed that we will put 500 bikes on the street in September 2014.”

Alaska Airlines contributed $2.5 million over five years to support the bike share program. As a presenting sponsor, Alaska Airlines’ logo will appear on the first 500 bicycles and on marketing materials sent to bike share users.

Annual and short term daily and 72 hour memberships for Pronto! Emerald City Cycle Share will go on sale in Aug. 25 at ProntoCycleShare.com.

"Alaska Airlines is proud to help people get out of their cars and enjoy what our great city has to offer in a more personal and healthy way," Tilden said. "Pronto bicycles will give folks who live here and those who are visiting from somewhere else wheels when they want them."

“Bike Share simply wouldn’t be possible in our City without the organizational and financial support of nearly a dozen community partners. I’m pleased that we were able to work with Alaska Airlines to make this partnership a reality,” said Murray. “Alaska Airlines’ commitment to this program shows in their investment and represents the kind of company that makes our community remarkable.”

The first 500 bikes and 50 docking stations of Pronto! Emerald City Cycle Share will link the University District, South Lake Union, Downtown and Capitol Hill neighborhoods. This month Pronto! Cycle Share will convene 10 community listening sessions to hear feedback from neighborhood residents and leadership on issues ranging from station locations to access. Community listening sessions are free and open to the public. Specific dates and locations will be listed on Pronto! Cycle Share’s Facebook page.

The nonprofit Puget Sound Bike Share will continue in its role as owner of the Pronto! Emerald City Cycle Share program, while partners Alta Bicycle Share will run day-to-day operations and the partnership of Alta Bicycle Share and 8D Technologies will provide software and docking hardware. Seattle-based branding, design and interactive studio Urban Influence created the Pronto! Cycle Share brand.

For the latest news on the launch of Pronto! Cycle Share, visit http://www.prontocycleshare.com/, follow on Twitter at @CyclePronto, and like on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ProntoCycleShare.

About Pronto! Emerald City Cycle Share
Pronto! Cycle Share will launch a network of 500 bikes and 50 docking stations in the South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, Downtown and University Districts of Seattle in September 2014. Future expansion of Pronto! Cycle Share is expected to reach more neighborhoods in Seattle and nearby communities in Kirkland, Bellevue and Redmond. Funded by a combination of grants, sponsorships from local companies and nonprofits, as well as user fees, bike share makes it easier for residents and visitors to use a flexible combination of bikes, buses, taxis, street cars, cars and walking to move around the city. Pronto! Emerald City Cycle Share is owned by Puget Sound Bike Share, a nonprofit organization based in Seattle.