KNOXVILLE (WATE) – Knoxville City Council voted Tuesday to bring a bicycle sharing program to the city by the end of the year. It won’t cost the city a dime.

The tech company is called Zagster. It has bikes in nearly 200 cities across the country, securing sponsorships to pay for maintenance and the salaries of locally hired employees.

“They can sort of deploy their bikes in a couple of months. We’re hopeful you’ll be able to see some of those bikes in the fall.” said Carol Evans, executive director of the Legacy Parks Foundation in Knoxville.

The foundation will work as the liaison between the out-of-town company and the city to establish routes, bike stations, and local sponsorships.

“Us getting into the bike share business a little bit later has allowed us to take advantage of really good technology and more efficient and more economical.” said Evans.

The program will start with 100 bikes, Evans says they hope it’s within the next three months.

“We’re excited that the City is considering Zagster to deliver a bike share program that would provide the entire Knoxville community with a convenient, affordable and healthy way to get around. We are confident we can work with the city and local stakeholders to build a sustainable bike share that works best for the City of Knoxville. More than half of all trips taken in the U.S. are under three miles, yet most Americans don’t have access to a bike. Zagster solves that access gap, offering people a great new way to get where they’re going, explore their community, and to just enjoy the simple pleasure of riding a bike.”

-Jon Terbush, communications manager at Zagster

The sharing service works via an app. Bikes can be picked up from one station and dropped off to another.