DOT explores bike share option

Although there is no shortage of commuters in Queens, the borough contains only 2.3 bike lane miles as of this year. The New York City Department of Transportation is currently looking into the logistics of a bike share program that would create a network of publicly accessible bicycles at low cost, increasing mobility and linking transit and social hubs citywide.
“New York is a world-class city for biking, and we are looking to build a world-class bike network,” said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. “The number of bike commuters has increased 77 percent since 2000. We now have more than 300 miles of on-street bike lanes, more than 5,000 bike racks, and have distributed more than 15,000 bicycle helmets. Alongside this infrastructure investment, we continue to look for new ways to reach our goal of doubling the number of bicycle commuters.”
DOT issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) asking firms and other parties to contribute their expertise towards designing and implementing the program, which would serve recreational riders as well as commuters.
There are roughly 330 bike lane miles already paved in New York City and an additional 200 off-street bike lane miles on Greenways and bridges, according to a DOT spokesperson. A lane mile measures how many lanes (which may run parallel to each other) are located in one mile. There are 6000 lane miles in New York City for cars alone.
These cities’ bike share programs require a per-use fee to access a bicycle at a bike station, usually located near a mass transit hub. Some users hold an annual membership allowing them regular access to the bicycles, which are distinctively marked or designed and can be returned to any station.
DOT seeks to improve on this system and tailor it to the environment of New York City. Read the RFEI at https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/rfpintro.shtml.