The mayors of San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Berkeley and Emeryville recently announced a proposal working together with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to expand the Bay Area Bike Share program, increasing the number of bikes in Bay Area Bike Share from 700 to 7,000 and growing the program from a successful pilot to a robust transportation option for Bay Area residents, at no cost to taxpayers.
Five local mayors working together with MTC recently announced a proposal to expand the Bay Area Bike Share program tenfold, increasing the number of bikes available from 700 to 7,000. Photo by Noah Berger
By BC Staff
Published: May, 2015
The mayors of San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Berkeley and Emeryville recently announced a proposal working together with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to expand the Bay Area Bike Share program, increasing the number of bikes in Bay Area Bike Share from 700 to 7,000 and growing the program from a successful pilot to a robust transportation option for Bay Area residents, at no cost to taxpayers.
Under the new proposal, bike share station locations would be developed in consultation with residents and local businesses, through a series of open forums and outreach events. Twenty percent of stations would be placed in MTC-designated “communities of concern,” putting equity at the core of the program’s design as it expands throughout the region. Discounted passes would also be made available to customers enrolled in Bay Area utility lifeline programs.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) launched the Bay Area Bike Share in August 2013 with a 700-bike system, with the bulk of the funding coming from MTC’s Climate Initiatives Program. Bike stations in San Francisco have accounted for about 90 percent of all trips during the pilot phase.
“When we launched Bay Area Bike Share nearly two years ago, we saw a transformation in the way that residents and visitors moved around the Bay Area with an easy, convenient, affordable and healthy transportation option in our world-class transportation network,” said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. “The proposed expansion of this popular bike share program will help residents and visitors move around our diverse San Francisco neighborhoods, and around the Bay Area region more easily.”
The planned expansion would be accomplished through a public-private partnership with Motivate, the nation’s largest bike share operator, at no cost to the taxpayer. Motivate is the current operator of the Bay Area Bike Share pilot, having won a competitive bid to do so in 2013.
“I’m encouraged by the efforts of Motivate and the cities to put equity concerns front and center,” said MTC Chair and Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese. “I think my colleagues will give the proposal very serious consideration, and I look forward to it coming before the Administration Committee and later to the full commission.”
All of the participating cities’ mayors expressed their enthusiasm for the plan: “Oakland is at the center of the BART and AC Transit systems, and bike sharing can effectively extend the reach of those services,” said Oakland Mayor and MTC Commissioner Libby Schaaf. “San Jose is committed to working regionally to implement smart, sustainable strategies that invest in the urban cores and transit corridors, and promote walking, bicycling and transit,” said San Jose Mayor and MTC Commissioner Sam Liccardo.
“Berkeley looks forward to being a partner in the expansion of bike share,” said Berkeley Mayor and MTC Commissioner Tom Bates. “The City of Emeryville is thrilled to have regional bike share serve Emeryville. With no hills, attractive destinations, and large residential, employment and shopping centers, we are well situated to embrace bike share,” said Emeryville Mayor Ruth Atkins. www.bayareabikeshare.com
Photo by Brenda Kahn
