All Over Albany

Bike share is expanding for 2018, and CDTA's looking for suggestions about new rack locations

A screengrab of the bike rack suggestion map.

The bike share operated by CDTA -- CDPHP Cycle -- is set to return for its second season this spring. And it will do so with 160 more bikes and more than 20 new rack locations.

So that means CDTA needs to make decisions about where to deploy the new bike stations. And it's again looking for public input: If you head over to the CDPHP Cycle site there's a map on which you can suggest a rack location and/or vote for one that's already suggested.

As in the lead up to the launch of the program last year, CDTA says it will be adding the public voting to a decision making mix that also includes population, city layouts, and existing bike infrastructure.

The first season of CDPHP Cycle, which ran from late July through November, included 160 bikes and 40 rack locations. The program signed up 2,467 members (the goal was 2,000) and logged 11,481 trips, averaging 2.34 miles per trip.

The initial group of rack locations was clustered fairly tightly in the downtowns of Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga Springs, and Troy in an attempt get people noticing the bikes and using the system. Lauren Bailey, who oversees the program as CDTA's mobility manager, has said one of the goals for the 2018 season is to expand the system farther into neighborhoods.

CDTA says the start of the 2018 bike share season is weather dependent, but it's aiming for late spring.

Earlier: What's next for the CDPHP Cycle bike share

CDTA and CDPHP advertise on AOA.