Electric bicycles added to Metro's fleet for central Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- There's a new mode of public transportation in Los Angeles: electric bicycles.

A fleet of new e-bikes were unveiled outside Union Station in downtown Los Angeles Thursday morning.

Metro and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation are adding more than 300 of the e-bikes to Metro's bike share fleet.

The bicycles are equipped with pedal assist motors, said Dolores Roybal Saltarelli, Executive Director of Metro's Regional Bike Share program.

"There is a battery pack, so it's just like a classic bike, but it gives you that extra boost to get you up that hill or to (help) expedite your pedaling," Roybal Saltarelli said.

Downtown resident Derrick Knight tested the e-bikes and is already a fan.

"I think it is a smart move by Metro to compete with the other bike shares that are out there, all over the place," Knight said.

By the end of summer, 20 new bike share stations will be added in Exposition Park, University Park, Pico Union, Koreatown, MacArthur Park, Echo Park and Silverlake.

The e-bikes have a 30-mile range on a full charge and can reach 17 miles per hour.