Thursday, September 15, 2011

drag2share: NYC Will Have 10,000 Shared Bikes Rolling Around the Streets Next Summer [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5840248/nyc-will-have-10000-shared-bikes-rolling-around-the-streets-next-summer

After much gnashing of teeth from city residents, NYC's transportation department has the go ahead to launch their planned bike sharing system, comprising 10,000 bikes and 600 stations that will cover much of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

The original plan was first proposed last year, and since then, the city has been working to gather support for the project. Now that they have it, they've shared more details. According to the New York Observer, here are some of the key bits of info:

• Bikes will be available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week.

• Stations will span across the city from the Upper West Side neighborhood in Manhattan out to Brooklyn neighborhoods like Greenpoint and Crown Heights.

• Portland-based Alta Bike Share is the company responsible for installing and managing the bike sharing infrastrucure.

• The first 30 minutes of any ride are expected to be free, with fees for additional time.

• An annual membership is expected to cost less than a MetroCard (which normally costs ~$100/month).

If this works out, it would be a godsend for getting between neighborhoods that aren't connected by train lines and require excessive amounts of trainhopping. I'm already excited for next summer. [Observer]

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