NEW YORK: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s much heralded bike share program, which was meant to get rolling this summer, will now be launched only in March next year, authorities said Friday.
“The software doesn’t work,” Bloomberg said in his weekly radio address. “We’re not going to put out the system until it works.” The launch had initially been due last month with an initial 7,000 blue bicycles at 420 stations, the city transport department said. “Hopefully, the software will work by then,” Bloomberg said. The program, which envisions 10,000 bicycles and 600 docking stations, was initially set to start in July, and has been sponsored by Citibank. Users will pay $9.95 for 30 minutes of riding time over a 24-hour period, but prices rises steeply for longer rides, reaching almost $155 if keeping the bike for 24 hours.
Transport Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said despite setbacks that “enthusiasm for this program continues to grow.” “New York City demands a world-class bike share system, and we need to ensure that Citi Bike launches as flawlessly as New Yorkers expect on Day One,” she said in a statement.
NY bike share plan gets flat tire
