Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Reader report: Citi Bikes to arrive at the end of the month


[Photo on East 4th Street by @LinzaPinz]

As you may have noticed, Citi Bikes docking stations have been arriving here fastly and furiously the last 72 hours... during the docking station installation on East 13th Street yesterday, a supervisor type handing out flyers told EVG reader Gary the following (paraphrased):

He said that bikes will be in the end of May ... and that it is a 1-year pilot program for Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. If it is successful, then it will roll out in the rest of the city.

Meanwhile, check out the Citi Bike site for how it all works here ... and their FAQs.
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 1, 2013 at 7:41 AM

    It's not a 'pilot'

    It's funny as that term was brought up by anti-bike laners regarding the Prospect Park West lane and they tried to use it as a reason to have it removed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brian VanMay 1, 2013 at 8:47 AM

    This "supervisor" guy is likely an equipment supervisor who is just in charge of setting up docks... it's funny how on-scene workers suddenly think they've got all the information in the world to give out when a curious bystander asks a question. This is why a lot of the "breaking" news that we get is wrong. All it takes is one dopey source in a work uniform...

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMay 1, 2013 at 9:59 AM

    Alta's contract with the city is reported to be for at least 5 years. It is not a one-year pilot program.

    I wish you could post less hearsay. This information is widely available online and has been reported in the Times and elsewhere.

    No one has to like bike share, but facts matter to the discussion.

    ReplyDelete
  4. vzabuserMay 1, 2013 at 10:24 AM

    "Citi Bike will be operated by NYC Bike Share LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alta Bicycle Share." and the NYTimes says Alta was indebted 109 million from a problem in Toronto making their bike share program-
    "“My intent is not for Alta to make money,” Mr. Tremblay said. “But it is for Alta not to lose money.”

    “I can guarantee you we are not on the brink of bankruptcy,” he said.

    Doesn't sound too promising- Citibank only shares with NY if Alta turns a profit, which will be "split between the city and NYC Bike Share if it occurs."

    ReplyDelete
  5. EV GrieveMay 1, 2013 at 10:26 AM

    @ anon 9:59

    I crossed out what the supervisor said to the resident. True, there is a lot of misinformation out there about the program — even coming for people working on it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. EV GrieveMay 1, 2013 at 10:27 AM

    I had also linked to the official Citi Bikes site in this post... including the FAQs page.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousMay 1, 2013 at 11:27 AM

    I walked by the one on my block - 3rd street btwn 1st and 2nd ave - last night, just out of curiosity. I happened to witness a car try to parallel park right there. It smashed its rear headlight on a docking station and drove away...

    fewer cars is fine with me :)

    ReplyDelete

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