All Over Albany

CDTA: Bike share planned for next summer

CDTA is planning to start its new bike share pilot next summer, the transit org said Wednesday.

It was one of the details the accompanied the announcement that CDTA has selected the company Social Bicycles as the operator of the two-year pilot program. The company runs bike shares in a bunch of cities around the country.

Bike share press release blurbage:

The Regional Bike Share program will allow people to rent bicycles within a network of self-serving stations, at various locations throughout CDTA's four-county service area. Site selection to determine the exact location of the bicycles is underway. The bike share program will be part of the CDTA menu of services, providing connectivity to the transit system, opening up new and different travel opportunities throughout the region. ...

When fully deployed, up to 300 bikes will be available throughout the region, accessible with CDTA's smart card and mobile ticketing system, Navigator. Club memberships and on-street kiosks will be an integral part of the new program, offering bike users multiple use and payment options.

The program is expected to start in the summer of 2017 and then pause during the winter months.

Jaime Watson, a spokesperson for CDTA, said today details of the bike share program are still to be worked out, a process that will move forward now that a vendor has been selected.

One of the details we'll be curious about: During the small Capital Region bike share demonstration back in 2014 -- which also used Social Bicycle bikes, on loan from the Buffalo BikeShare -- the program required a credit card for the user account registration. Using the bike was free -- the card was to secure the bike. That's understandable, but it also could potentially reduce the number of people who can/will sign up.

So it will be interesting to see how all the details shake out.

Navigator
Speaking of payment... CDTA's new smart card and mobile payments system -- Navigator -- is set to start its rollout to the general public January 12. It's been in a pilot test the last few months.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Taking the Capital Region Bikeshare for a spin (2014)
+ Bike Albany Map
+ Madison Ave Road Diet, now lined up
+ When bikes weren't just something on the side

CDTA advertises on AOA.