An empty bike rack established by Zagster is seen near the Warsaw Community Public Library and Zimmer Biomet’s world headquarters in downtown Warsaw on Tuesday, June 2. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

News Release

WARSAW —  The community bike share services through Zagster will be ending in Kosciusko County due to the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement was made to community partners via an emailed statement last week from Zagster.

“This was a difficult decision but a necessary one, for which we are truly sorry,” says the statement from Zagster.

The company loosely outlined its plan to remove bikes and stations from Warsaw and Winona Lake by June 12. The statement also said, “Riders will receive an email with details about the closure on Friday, May 29. In addition, we will provide information on our website and app.”

Zagster began operating in the county in 2018 sponsored by Zimmer Biomet and in partnership with the Ride Walk Advisory Committee. The Ride Walk Advisory Committee, formed in 2012, has spent the last eight years working to expand safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle options in Warsaw and Winona Lake.

More information about the committee’s dedication to invigorate a bicycle-friendly community can be found at ridewalk.com.

Bike-sharing was not the only recent program aimed at expanding bicycle use in our community. A bike lane on Fort Wayne Street in Warsaw was installed in 2019, and many more bicycle infrastructure projects are in various stages of development.

The Ride Walk Advisory Committee and its partners are currently working on a solution to fill the gap left by Zagster’s departure. They look forward to exploring new bike share opportunities for Kosciusko County.