Unicorn bikes for the bike share, a few ridership numbers for this season so far

CDTA unicorn bike design

Updated

CDTA announced Wednesday that it will start rolling out "unicorn" bikes as part of the CDPHP Cycle bike share.

The bikes have color schemes different from the typical green and purple of the bike share bikes. The image above is of the design for the CDTA-themed unicorn. There will be six designs in total.

The unicorns bikes are mostly for fun. But trip taken on one this summer, CDTA says it will be making a contribution the philanthropic arm of CDPHP. The Rose & Kiernan insurance agency is also kicking in some money, too.

When we first heard about these unicorn bikes a few weeks back, we expressed our extreme disappointment to CDTA officials that they wouldn't literally be unicorn-themed bikes, with a horn or rainbows or whatever. But there's always hope for the future.

The bike share season so far

Here's are the ridership numbers for the current bike share season so far, via CDTA...

CDTA bike share ridership 2018-mid-July

Jaime Watson, CDTA's director of corporate communications, says the transit org's goal for bike share rides per week is 1,000, which it easily topped last week. The system currently has 300 bikes in service, Watson said via email. (The system has been working to double the number of bikes in service this year compared to last, but it's faced production delays.)

There have been 12 full weeks since the current season started in April, so it's running behind that goal for the whole season so far on average. But we have heard from officials in the past that the system racked up a lot of usage during track season in Saratoga (which starts later this week) last year. And summer weeks are presumably also prime time for ridership numbers across the whole system (see last week).

More than the year to date number, the thing that jumps out to us is what appears to be relatively low usage in Troy and Schenectady. Those cities lagged behind Albany and Saratoga Springs during the first season, too, on a rides per hub basis.

Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, and Troy have roughly the same number of hubs -- in the 12-14 range -- according to the CDPHP Cycle online map.)

CDPHP advertises on AOA.

Comments

One could, hypothetically speaking, vandalize one of the "unicorn" bikes by installing rainbow colored streamers on the handles. I doubt anyone would be upset enough to remove them.

(That said, they're not even rainbow colored! You could've got support from the Pride community!)

I still like how agency with primary source of income being NYS general fund is making charitable contributions to a private company. Not to Cuomo's campaign, though - so it could be worse...

Considering that the private company (CDPHP) is the partner of CDTA in this program, and one of the reasons this wonderful program exists, I have no problem with charitable contributions from CDTA going to CDPHP® The Foundation: https://www.cdphp.com/corporate-giving/the-foundation

If you read the foundation's mission, it is "to support and promote health, wellness, education, and cultural vibrancy in our community through philanthropy and service."

This all seems pretty aligned to me! I support it.

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