New York City’s highly touted Bike Share Program, which includes locations in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Bridge Park and nearby Downtown Brooklyn, has already been delayed until summer’s end because of an alleged “software glitch,” as previously reported by BHB. But now it appears the wheels of progress may be facing greater delays.
The New Times reports that as Labor Day looms, thousands of bikes for the program, sponsored by Citigroup and known as Citi Bike, sit in boxes in Building 293 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, along with parts for the docking stations—with no discernible activity taking place.
“There is no official date for the rollout, and supporters fear the warm-weather window to begin the program this year is shrinking,” the Times reports. Enduring delays would push the kickoff further into the upcoming NYC mayoral race in which transportation is likely to be a major issue. Any stumbles could call into question the very wisdom of the Bike Share Program.
Current mayoral candidates have not made explicit promises regarding the Bloomberg bike legacy, and Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, says he is bracing for an administration less friendly to “alternative transit.” If the bike-share program is embraced by New Yorkers, it would be the most visible and enduring symbol of current Mayor Bloomberg’s policies, suggests the Times. But if it runs into trouble, it could make any new mayoral administration skittish about bringing similarly sweeping changes to city streets, threatening the program’s existence.
Read the full article at The New York Times here.
