A small business owner in Burlington City is hoping to get new visitors to the area with a new endeavor called the Black Bike Project.

“It’s like the greatest town many have never heard of, that’s how I always explained Burlington,” says The Glam Bar owner Rashauna Johnson.

Johnson says that her mission this summer is to get people out and about in Burlington City -- and to do that, she has purchased bicycles.

“I felt like what we could do – we’re getting out of the pandemic and everybody’s been cooped up. Let’s get outside. So how can I help that? So I came up with the Black Bike Project and it’s called that because the bikes are black and it's really a project,” Johnson says.

Glam Bar is located on High Street in Burlington City’s downtown district. The bikes will be available for rent at her store starting on June 5 - $12 will get riders four hours.

Main Street Burlington, the organization that runs historic walking tours in Burlington City, is excited about the endeavor.

“We see this as another step in the overall attempt to create an itinerary, so we want to get to a point where you could easily fill a whole day in Burlington City, if not a whole weekend,” says Main Street Burlington president Richard Spaulding.

Johnson says that she hopes that this program will not only help people explore the city, but its small businesses as well.

“Umm’s Ice Cream, Peace on Earth – the entire High Street is filled with little hidden gems,” she says. “Burlington has one of the best waterfronts that I've seen in the county. So if I feel that way, other people would feel that way too, I hope. And if they don't, they'll see it once they start riding their bikes."

The bike rental program will run through the summer and early fall. They will also have tandem bikes and adult tricycles to rent.