New York City this week is rolling out a new public transportation option: A bike-share program that brings 6,000 bikes to 330 stations around Manhattan and Brooklyn.
A pet—and controversial—initiative of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the bike-share program will use 350 miles of dedicated bike lanes built around the city.
In honor of His Honor, New Yorkers have already dubbed it Mike’s Bikes.
The program, which was fully funded by a $41 million Citigroup sponsorship, officially is named Citi Bike. It offers bike rentals to purchasers of day passes, which cost $9.95, or weekly passes, which cost $25.
Annual members can pay $95 and use the bikes for 45 minutes at a time. More than 15,000 New Yorkers already have signed up.
Bloomberg said the program "is going to be great for millions of visitors."
New York now joins Paris, London, Shanghai, and Montreal as major cities with bike programs. Chicago, Ann Arbor, and Chattanooga, Tenn., also are planning bike-rental programs.
By Cheryl Rosen
