Bicycle Lane and Bike Share Policy Review by Slavica Mickovic

  

Over a year has passed since Citi Bike became part of the New York City transit program family and it has become indispensable to the city’s dwellers and visitors in rotation.

Despite the occasional negative reviews portrayed in the media, user statistics show that the program has been a tremendous success. To date, there are more than one hundred thousand annual members and over seven million rides taken. However positive the reputation, financial statistics reveal that the program is in jeopardy and in need of urgent support. Unlike other city transit family members, Citi Bike is unsubsidized. A 24-hour pass costs $10.00 and annual membership fee sells for $95.00; in short, this is not enough to keep the bikes rolling.

Sunday, September 7, 2014, was my first bike share ride experience and I could not have chosen a better day! The weather was beautiful, sunny and clear. My trip started at Columbus Circle just before 1:00 pm and it was there that I faced my first obstacle.

Buying a pass at the station kiosk was a bit frustrating- the system rejected my credit card twice before accepting another card. Then, the code was incorrect and I had to begin again. I overheard people who were waiting in line behind me saying that incorrect codes were a common occurrence and it often took two or three times before receiving one that worked. I was unsure at first, how the experience was going to turn out.

After checking all of the recommendations provided in the kiosk display, I chose to ride down 60th Street to 9th Avenue, and then south to 14th Street. I continued pedaling east down 14th Street and then ended my ride at the Jackson Square Park station at Greenwich Street and 8th Avenue. During the ride, I exchanged the bike once at a docking station- it was simple.

Despite a few bumps, I had a good experience, though I was slow to warm up. Since this was my first time riding a bike on the streets of New York City, it took me until my final destination to get comfortable and recognize the appeal. Unfortunately, the bike lanes I rode on were in the same sorry condition as the streets and avenues themselves, and there were too many delivery bikes riding in the wrong direction. However, as the time passed, I got used to the chaos and my fears melted away. These bike lanes allowed me to travel separate from traffic, above ground, and experience the excitement of the city around me. Once at my final destination I felt energized and free.

Over the following weekends, I took several more rides on various routes. A ride from Grand Central Station to 14^th Street and 8^th Avenue e.g., took only 10 minutes. Could it be faster with a cab? Perhaps not! Well, maybe less ‘sweaty’! Nonetheless these rides reinforced my initial feelings of the Citi Bike ride as a positive experience.

In large cities, such as New York City, bike sharing programs are absolutely vital to city dwellers and their well being. Should we expect that everything in a big city like this will run without a problem? Even the subways jam up from time to time. Perhaps there should be more policies to help the program thrive. And perhaps more road rules would need to be adopted. Maybe if people were given tickets for misbehaving, like the delivery people riding in the wrong direction, the money could be appropriated to subsidize the project. That is just one idea that I might entertain since I would like to see Citi Bike remain and even become an intermodal part of the transit family. As far as I’m concerned, I am planning to make bike-riding a part of my daily routine, and will most likely purchase my very own annual pass!

The previous text was written during the month of September, 2014. It is currently mid-November, 2014, and several important events and changes have happened in regard to the future of the bike sharing program in New York City.

First and foremost is the news that the bike share program is ‘growing up’, as it is growing in many cities in the United States. In New York City, a new generation of the bike share program is on its way, and the new proprietors have promised to double the size of the program by the end of 2017.

For New Yorkers, this means the addition of twelve thousand new bikes, the expansion of the current number of bike stations to over seven hundred, and expansion of services into new areas. New coverage areas would include 59^th Street to Harlem just above 125^th Street, expanded Brooklyn zones such as Greenpoint, and introduction into some areas in Queens such as Astoria and Long Island City.

At the same time, Mayor de Blasio launched his ‘Vision Zero Action Plan’, two-decade goal of eliminating all traffic deaths and serious injuries on New York City streets. In order to achieve this goal, many new measures and actions will need to take place. Some of these actions are already underway, such as the enactment of the speed-limit reduction law that should contribute significantly to safer streets for all participants. Many more actions and measures are needed.

One measure that could help achieve the Mayor’s goal would be to slow traffic through traffic-calming measures such as raised crosswalks and intersections, speed bumps and other measures outlined in the Urban Bikeway Design Guide (http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/ ). Better education regarding bicycle driving and sharing the road through driving safety classes, public workshops, and school curricula would contribute to greater safety on shared city roads. Reducing the total number of motor vehicles in the city through planning and law enforcement would undoubtedly contribute to calmer, safer roads.

With safer streets and growing ridership on the way, improvements to the bike share program itself should be considered. One recommendation would be to increase the number of shared bikes within the vicinity of significant public transit hubs such as Penn Station, Grand Central Station, and the new Fulton Street Transit Center, to name just a few. Introducing signage indicating the locations of bike stations and adding timers on the bikes to help reduce overtime charges would increase the user-friendliness of the program. Posting a ‘hot-line’ at docking stations and on the program’s website for user comments could identify many more ideas to help the bike share program grow into an integral, safe and enjoyable part life in New York City.