Bike share program set to roll out from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

Zyp station

Bicycle enthusiasts and public officials will celebrate in style Wednesday when Birmingham rolls out – and shows off – its new public bikeshare system, the first in the state.

The system goes by the name Zyp, and it will kick off with a parade of more than 200 of the green, Zyp bicycles. The bicyclists will take a leisurely lunchtime ride starting from Regions Field, home of minor league baseball’s Birmingham Barons, and ending at City Hall.

In recent weeks, Zyp stations have quietly been installed across the central city, from downtown, to the Uptown and Parkside areas, and across Southside including the area around the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Stations can also be found at Five Points South and in the nearby neighborhoods of Lakeview, Forest Park and Fountain Heights.

The stations are solar-powered, and some of the system’s bicycles are “pedelecs” – electric-assist bikes that can give riders a helpful push when they travel longer distances or uphill. Birmingham’s is the first bikeshare system in the nation to launch with electric-assist bicycles.

REV Birmingham, a nonprofit organization focused on business growth in the city center and in-town neighborhoods, operates Zyp. Individuals can sign up for annual memberships or swipe a credit card to take out a bicycle for a few hours or an entire day. A free smartphone app gives members quick access to the bicycles, along with maps that show nearby stations and local sites.

“This is a completely new, fun and easy way for downtown workers and residents to quickly get around downtown and nearby neighborhoods, without getting in a car,” said Lindsey West, Zyp director. In addition to reducing traffic and emissions from automobiles, the system offers visitors a new attraction, with several stations convenient to downtown hotels, West said.

The Alabama Power Foundation is among the key supporters of Zyp, which officials hope will spur additional economic growth downtown, as well as enhancing tourism and providing health benefits. Other supporters include Regions Bank, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, the city of Birmingham and the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham.

The bicycle parade is scheduled to begin at noon Wednesday, with a news conference in front of City Hall at 12:45 p.m. For more information, go to Zyp.