$16 million program funded entirely by Bike Nation
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| Photo by Rodrigo Mejia The amount of riders filling the streets could see a rise when the bike-share program launches later this year |
Mayor Antonio Villiraigosa announced at CicLAvia that the city would adopt a plan forwarded by Bike Nation to install 400 bike stations to house some 4,000 newly-minted bicycles throughout Los Angeles.
The goal, according to the press release from the Mayor's office, is to "[make] it that much easier for Angelenos to get around this town while promoting business and job growth in the City."
The $16 million dollar investment from Bike Nation, will not include any funds from the city and aims to be up and running by late 2012.
The announcement is a welcome development for a city inching closer towards a bike-ready model and one that looks to further make use of its public transportation arm.
"If you take the bus, or take the train, or you're walking out of your house and you need to get somewhere, how do you accomplish that short trip in between? Bike share is definitely the way to do it," said CicLAvia organizer Aaron Paley in an interview with the L.A. Times.
And just in time. The MTA is looking to save some $23 million by shaving routes of 11 bus lines while eliminating 9 others. The aim is to entice residents to ride the Expo Line, something the MTA hopes will allow the cutbacks to go unnoticed.
With Bike Nation's bike share program, residents riding from South L.A. to the West side now have another option to mitigate the harm of future MTA cuts, and at minimal price.
The rates for the bike share program are as follows:
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| Photo by Rodrigo Mejia Commuters looking to make due with MTA cutbacks, could possibly use the bike-share program to extend the reach of public transporation |
- $1.50 for an hour
- $4.50 for 90 minutes
- $6 for an all-day pass
- $75 for an all-year pass
- Free for trips less than 30 minutes
The bikes will have embedded GPS devices to minimize the probability of theft and will feature flat-resistant tires driven by a chain-less system to reduce maintenance.
It's still unclear whether or not the venture will prove profitable for Bike Nation, though it defiantly has first dibs on the bike sharing market in Los Angeles.
The Chicago Tribune found that Chicago's own bike-share program, maintained by Capital Bikeshare, has seen a loss of $7 million since opening in September of 2010. The article notes that the losses were covered by federal funds, a helping hand that isn't yet part of the deal for Bike Nation in Los Angeles.
Bike Nation is also looking to implement a similar program in Anaheim, one that will launch in June.
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