Philly To Bring Bike Sharing To a Neighborhood Near You

Philly once again has its finger on the pulse of a new and exciting program. Earlier this year City Council passed a bill to allow bike sharing to come to Philadelphia and the city of Philadelphia agreed to work with the Bicycle Transit System to assure the delivery of a bicycle sharing system. Now, you can help decide where the best bike sharing stations should be located!

 

In the first phase, 60 stations offering 600 bikes are to open in Center City and beyond - roughly from Temple University to just south of Washington Avenue, and from 42d Street to the Delaware River. The second phase will add territory in each direction, plus 650 more bikes.

Currently, the Bicycle Transit System is asking the public to tell them where the bike hubs should be located. Many will be near transit lines, but they are also looking for areas that are not easily accessible by public transportation and central locations in the communities across the map.

Ideally Bike-sharing would be for trips that are three miles or less. It's good for trips where it's too far to walk, too far for transit, or too hard to park.To encourage shorter trips, riders who pay annual fees get to ride free for the first 30 minutes - a rule used in other cities. Then the per-ride fees mount up - a move that the city says will discourage riders from keeping bikes overnight.

The projected cost is $14.5 million over the first five years. The goal is to get all the operating costs back in user fees by 2017, when the program's second phase is slated to begin.

There is still time for you and your friends to suggest ideal locations.

Click here to pick your favorite location!

The work of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is made possible through the generous support of committed individuals and institutions.