NYC Bike Share Program Includes Multiple Locations Across Heights, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Downtown

By on May 13, 2012 2:51 am in brooklyn bridge park, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Sports

New York City’s Bike Share Program has announced its citywide locations that include Brooklyn’s portion of 600 city bike share stations, with multiple locations around Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Bridge Park and nearby Downtown Brooklyn.

The initiative is sponsored by the city Department of Transportation with Alta Bicycle Share. DOT released a draft map of the first locations in this summer’s rollout of a portion of the Bike Share docking stations. Installation begins in late July. The solar-powered, wireless docking stations will be located on sidewalks, curbside road space and plazas, and accommodate between 15 and 60 bikes each.

For an interactive map that allows targeting of specific locations, see here.

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  • jim

    30 bikes carry a lot more people than 3 cars parked in the same spaces…glad the City is working to equalize the public space

    And last I checked the Brooklyn Heights Association was not an elected body and does not represent the majority of the residents here (their membership is much less than half of the residents of our neighborhood).

    Can’t wait for the bike sharing program to start!

  • hicks st guy

    @Quinn, and @Eddy . . thank you for your intelligent posts. now, I hope the police start arresting the felons who hit the bicyclists, because as anyone on two wheels will tell you, if you’re not in car, motorists think you’re invisible.

  • Matthew Parker

    I was recently in D.C. for the weekend and their bike sharing program is quite popular, seemed to work well for both residents and tourists, and my friend who lives there says it’s been successful.

  • Willowtowncop

    You can get a bike a Target just as good as these for less than the annual fee. I don’t see how this makes sense from a economic perspective.

    I wonder who will sue the City first- someone who gets hurt riding like a jerk, or the person who gets run over by the jerk? Either way the City will probably settle. These things may be funded by advertising and fees but I suspect the lawsuits will be paid with tax dollars.

  • Slide

    Yeah, you can buy a lousy bike for the cost of an annual membership but many have no place to keep a bike in an apartment. Where are you going to leave the bike when you ride to the train station? Or to your job? This is not a new idea, many cities have such bike sharing systems and everything I have read is that they are very popular and successful.

    I really don’t think you understand the concept very well Willowtowncop.

    As far as liability issues, I don’t see how the city will be liable in the types of cases you mention. Perhaps if a bike is defective and someone gets hurt as a result there might be a case but otherwise I am sure members will have sign waivers of liability.

  • A math major

    A “usurpation of on-street parking in the Heights”?…

    First, I’m sorry — where is it written as law that the space *currently* used for parking private cars on public land must forever be used in that manner?

    Second, many private cars sit for days without being used. In other cities with similar programs each of these bikes gets used multiple times a day. It doesn’t take a major stretch of the imagination to realize that for each parking space converted to bike parking that at *least* one car would be removed from the street as someone decided to get rid of their car due to the convenience of the bike system.

    Third, while I understand how some might be concerned at the appropriateness of the commercial appearance. I am too. I’ve seen the system in Paris and it fits in gracefully there — in all sorts of staggeringly lovely historic neighborhoods. But these bikes seem more… garish.

  • Slide

    Bob Scott – “The city’s decision to sneakily release these sites on a Friday preceding a holiday weekend demonstrates it has reason to fear community reaction”

    Please. Your paranoia is silly. There will be huge amounts of publicity on this as we move forward. No one is trying to slip anything under the radar.

    As a matter of fact, if Boston is any indication residents are goingnto,complain when the kiosks are NOT in their neighborhoods.

    “A few hours to the north, the Boston Globe reports that the “early success of Hub bike sharing” is surprising even its backers. The Hubway system has attracted 2,319 annual subscribers as of August 28, one month after its launch, and 36,612 trips have been made on it so far. Theft and vandalism have not been problems; planners say the biggest complaints they have received are from residents annoyed that their neighborhood doesn’t have a bike-share station yet.”

    http://blog.tstc.org/2011/09/07/rave-reviews-for-bike-shares-in-boston-washington/

  • Lance Armstrong

    There already too many pedestrians and cars in the Heights —
    BTW, bike parking is outside Landmarks’ (and BHA’s) rights.
    It will be fun to have bikes nailing pedestrians all over the place —
    Can’t wait to see the looks on BHA doyennes’ faces.

    Wonder if the Joralemon faction will complain about bikers heading for the park?
    Will Judy F. oil the Joralemon cobblestones (of course, only after dark)?
    I’ve got the argument for the ani-Citiike folks, here’s the answer:
    Too much bicycling may cause testicular cancer!!

    Happy cycling,
    Lance

  • Slide

    “Anyone notice that in the pic above, the Citibank-sponsored citibike is Citibank blue?”

    If I laid out $60M to sponsor the program I darn well would want my colors and/or logo incorporated. I have no problem with that.

  • WillowtownCop

    I get the concept just fine, thank you. I’ve seen it in action in DC and Montreal. The City Council has already passed laws requiring workplaces to provide bike storage, and mine (and millions of others) has been just fine parked on the street for a number of years. I also get the sharing idea, except not everyone gets to share. I don’t see any outposts of these in poor neighborhoods. I don’t see how it will help people who don’t have credit cards and $95 a year to spend on something that could be had permanently for $75, especially if you have to worry about taking the stupid thing to a station within 45 minutes or you might get charged – only to roll up and find the station full.

    I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the way the City deals with nuisance lawsuits – it settles them, no matter how outrageous they are, if it’s cheaper than fighting them. All it takes is someone to claim the breaks failed or that they aren’t ADA compliant and the taxpayers are on the hook, and a moneymaking scheme by the government is suddenly costing us.

  • Slide

    Willowtowncop we’ll have to agree to disagree. Time will tell but I think the bike-share program will be a raging success as it has been just about everywhere it has been tried. Why would NY be different?

    Oh, and on final thing, this fear to do ANYTHING because of lawsuits just drives me nuts. Yes, we are a litigious society But we can’t let the fear of lawsuits prevent us from doing something that would greatly benefit the people. Riders will sign waivers of liability so I really think you are overblowing the issue.

    Your concern for those without credit cards is commendable but that is no reason why the program shouldn’t move forward.

    I’m always amused by those that are reflexively against anything new. Whether it be the Brooklyn Bridge Park, up scale stores at the Fulton Mall or a new restauraunt coming to Montague Street one can always count on te naysayers that can find multiple reasons, some truly absurd, to be against the change. Fortunately I think they are just a small cranky minority.

  • Slide

    To Bob’s Friday nights news dump theory, this kinda dispels that,

    “For the next couple of months, DOT will work with community boards on where each bike station will be located. Come summer, the bicycles should be ready for New Yorkers.”

    I think the LAST thing the DOT wants is community opposition. There is no grand conspiracy to secretly shove bike stations where they are not wanted. For every community that objects I imagine there will be dozens clamoring to get the biles in their neighborhood.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/13189502@N02/ Eddyenergizer

    Willowtown, The Bike Share stations shown on the map are only the first to be installed. As the program gains popularity (as it should) more stations will be added, including some in poorer neighborhoods.
    Any program has to take into account the majority of the people it is designed to serve and simply cannot accommodate everyone. Most New Yorkers can afford $95 a year and have credit cards. Those who cannot afford or be verified for the service can find an inexpensive or used bike.

  • Slide

    It should also be noted that the bike share stations are not permanent and can very easily be dismantled and moved elsewhere should there be community opposition but as indicated earlier I think the complaints will be the other way with communities upset they don’t have a station in their neighborhood.

  • A math major

    As an added afterthought for the few who are outraged at the conversion of parking spaces…

    Among Beooklyn Heights residents (and really, of any neighborhood) there are far, far more potential customers of this service than car owners so you better pray this isn’t ever decided in a true democratic fashion. I think you’d find your precious parking spaces converted to bike racks faster than you can say Schwinn. ;-)

  • Mark

    @Willowtowncop

    “I don’t see how it will help people who don’t have credit cards and $95 a year to spend on something that could be had permanently for $75″

    A decent bike that I would consider reliable enough for daily commute is going to run at minimum $400 or so. Heck, my last set of commuting tires (Continental Gatorskins) alone cost $93 plus tax. My lock also cost over $100 (New York Fahgettaboutit) and when you factor in all the other maintenance that goes with riding to work M-F year round, $95 is a hell of a deal. I understand if you don’t like to bike yourself, but don’t argue that the service is expensive when you don’t have a proper perspective.

    A YEAR of bike rentals (assuming you can make your ride in under 45 min) is less than a single month unlimited Subway card. That my friend is a deal.

  • Slide

    Lets do the math….. there are 260 working days a year. Lets say you only use the bike share a quarter of the time to account for time off, inclement weather, or any other reason where you don’t want to bike to work. That leaves 65 days a year of use. At $95 a year annual membership that comes to less that $1.50 for each day of use.

    And… and…. you have a bike available to you 24/7. For that weekend ride down to Pier 1 lets say… or to shoot down to Atlantic Terminal. And all that without worrying about storage, maintenance or theft issues that stop me from buying a bike, at any price.

    You just haven’t thought it through Willowtowncop.

  • Wrennie

    As long as the people using these bikes don’t use them like idiots (riding on sidewalks, riding the wrong way down one-way streets), I guess it’s fine. Although these bikes look completely terrible.

  • She’s Crafty

    They will use them like idiots, guaranteed, just like the tourists who rent the bikes down by Pier 1 and ride on the sidewalk and on the pedestrian path in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Everyone thinks it’s so cool to be pro bike. Just wait until you get knocked down by some a**hole.

  • zburch

    I think its great. Bikers sometimes annoy me when they run lights and go too fast on the Brooklyn Bridge, but they certainly aren’t as dangerous or annoying as cars running lights, honking and polluting.

    I think it will take time to hash out the details, but many other cities have successful bike share programs. I have a bike but rarely use it because I have to drag it out of storage, and then worry about it getting stolen if I want to leave it for awhile. For commuting, running errands or going to see friends, this is way better than using my own bike.

  • Slide

    These are slow heavy bikes and will be used by commuters by and large, not delivery guys nor tourists. They have found in other cities that the rates of accidents for Bike Shares are much lower than the accident rate general bike riders.

    Hey, there are lots of hazards living in a crowded city. You want a risk free life unencumbered by others perhaps living in a congested area is not the right choice for you.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/13189502@N02/ Eddyenergizer
  • http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com Flashlight Worthy

    In the 12 years I’ve lived in NYC, I’ve known 2 people to be hit by cars and no one to be hit by a bike.

    (And for those who are curious, the drivers in both cases were 100% at fault. One of them was turning right and said he saw the pedestrian but thought he could “beat her through the intersection.” Instead he put her in the hopsital for 4 months and gave her a permanent limp. The other was crossing legally but the driver admitted he was “looking at his phone”. Fortunately she’s ok.)

  • Slide

    Regarding the issue of Liability, this from the FAQ

    Who is liable if there is a crash or other problem?

    If there is a legitimate equipment problem that causes a crash, NYC Bike Share will be liable. If a rider is disobeying traffic laws or is reckless, then that person will be liable. NYC’s Law Department has determined that bike share does not increase the City’s general exposure.

  • SPM

    Let’s just make sure that bikers are well aware that there’s NO BIKING on the Promenade. I see there will be a bike station on Cranberry and the Promenade and that gives me pause – BHA, take note – more signage, please!

  • DrewB

    You can always find a few people to complain about anything in this neighborhood. I swear if some was walking around stuffing $100 bills under apartment doors someone in this neighborhood would complain that they were breaking flyer laws. I know progress is scary for some people. Take a deep breath. The sky is not falling. It’s just a few more bikes in the hood. You will survive!

  • David on Middagh

    A better color would make a world of difference, tho’. Cantaloupe?

  • David on Middagh
  • Willowtowncop

    I don’t know where you’re shopping for bikes but I got a perfectly good one at Target about 5 years ago for $65. It works perfectly. If you want a better one with gears and things I understand paying more, but these bikes (at least the ones I saw in Canada) are very basic. No gears, foot brakes, not really adjustable, i.e. comprable in quality to the one I have.

  • Slide

    The bikes that NYC will be using are probably in the range of $750 to $1000. A $65 bike would not last a month of daily commuting on NYC’s streets.

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