New York - The city’s Transportation Department said Friday that its long-awaited bike share program has been postponed because of equipment damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy.
Bike share will now begin in May and on a smaller scale than originally planned. Initially the plan was to have 7,000 bikes at 420 stations by March, then expand to 10,000 bikes and 600 stations by June. Now, the plan is to have at least 5,500 bikes at 293 stations by May. There is no timeline for the program to expand to 10,000 bikes.
Before the storm, the system’s equipment was stored at the program’s facility in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Though some pieces, like bike frames, were not significantly damaged, many individual parts of the system with electrical components will have to be refurbished or replaced.
Janette Sadik-Khan, the city’s transportation commissioner, said in a telephone interview on Friday "I am pleased that a March opening is still expected, given the scope of the storm’s damage. There were several feet of water in the bike share warehouse that night. The system’s pieces are weather-proof, but they’re not intended to be totally submerged in salt water baths. We will literally have to open every piece of equipment with a transistor or a circuit board to see what the damage is.”
The new timeline for the program, known as Citi Bike and operated by Alta Bicycle Share, will not affect the $41 million in private financing from Citi.
The 5,500 bikes will be clustered in Midtown, Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Officials hope to expand to 7,000 bikes by the end of 2013, filling gaps in planned service areas across Brooklyn and into Long Island City, Queens.
Ms. Sadik-Khan said “We still remain committed to expanding the program to 10,000 bikes, but we are not sure when that might happen.
Last summer, the program was delayed amid software concerns after a dispute between Public Bike System Company, Alta’s partner based on Montreal, and 8D Technologies, which had supplied the software for successful programs in cities like Boston and Washington.
If you want to know more about Citi Bike click HERE
1. in May
2. at least 5,500 bikes
3. at the program’s facility in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
4. No, they weren't (significantly damaged)
5. open every piece of equipment
6. to see what the damage is.
7. to expand to 7,000 bikes
8. last summer
9. I don't know
10. I think so
adapted from The New York Times
