Bike Share on Governors Island
I went out to the first free Friday on Governors Island and met dozens of people taking advantage of this carfree biking oasis. Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC), Transportation Alternatives and Bike and Roll have joined forces to create what they are calling New York City's first sustained bike share program. Every Friday between June 6th and October 4th, Governors Island visitors can rent adult and children's bikes at no charge. On Saturdays and Sundays bikes can be rented at cost. To find out more about biking on Governors Island, click here.
Yet another great video. In Copenhagen, you can rent public bikes simply by cramming a Danish kronar into a locking mechanism that releases the bike from the rack. Reinserting the bike into any of the dozen or so public bike racks scattered across the city releases your kronar which you can then use to buy ice cream!
I can't wait to get to Governor's Island. I almost went last weekend, but I now know just what I missed out on, damn it! Though, It'd be real sweet to see something like Bike and Roll in the five boroughs.
Just to clarify, Bike and Roll is the name of a bike rental company that operates all over NYC and all over the country.
What would be great to see all over the five boroughs is a bike share program. Transportation Alternatives is sponsoring the Free Friday rentals on Governor's Island to draw attention to how great it would be if public bikes were one of New Yorkers many public transportation options, compatible with any metro card. Check out this website to see what other cities around the world are doing: http://www.worldcitybike.org
This allows two types of experiments: people thinking of trying bicycling out for the first time can do so for free in a car-free environment, and decisionmakers considering a broader bike share program can see whether loaning bikes for free in NYC poses obvious and insurmountable problems (I don't think there are amny, but the decisionmakers thus far seem reticent).
I'm looking forward to giving it a try during the "Figment" event starting June 27th on Governor's Island. Last year's was and drew broad participation from the bicycling community.
THE BIKE RENTALS ARE SCAM ARTISTS. FIRST THEY TELL YOU THE BIKES ARE FREE ON FRIDAY. THEN WHEN YOU RETURN THEM THEY TELL YOU, OH , NO, JUST THE FIRST HALF AN HOUR AND THEN ANOTHER YOUNG MAN SAYS , WELL, THE FIRST HOUR IS FREE. CLAIMS THERES A SIGN INFRONT. THERE’S NO SIGN!!! THEY HOLD YOUR DRIVERS LICENSE HOSTAGE UNTIL YOU PAY. WHAT KIND OF BIKE RENTAL KEEPS YOUR DRIVERS LICENSE. WHEN YOU RENT A CAR THEY DON’T KEEP IT. I WAS WORRIED FROM THE START I WASN’T GOING TO GET IT BACK . THE RENTAL PLACE IS VERY AND “VERY” IS A UNDERSTATEMENT -POORLY MANAGED. YOU CAN’T BLAME THE KIDS WHEN THEY SEE A HUSTLE AND WANT TO MAKE AN EXTRA BUCK. I WOULD SAY AT THE VERY LEAST THERE SHOULD BE PARENTAL SUPERVISION IF YOU ARE GOING TO LET CHILDREN RUN A CONCESSION. MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO BRING YOUR OWN BIKE.
Hi Jonathon,
I’m so sorry to hear about your experience with Free Bike Friday, but I’m glad you said something. Bicycles are free for the first hour every Friday, courtesy of Transportation Alternatives. After the first hour,the bikes are $5 for a 1/2 hour or $10 for up to 2 hours. You can also check out the Governors Island website for more information about Free Bike Fridays: http://www.govisland.com.
Governors Island, Bike and Roll and Transportation Alternatives are looking into this incident and will be in touch with you shortly. If you have any further concerns, please contact us again at info-gipec@empire.state.ny.us.
Ellen
Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation
Are helmets offered? Can I get one? Having a large head, I find it hard to buy a decent hat that fits, much less a helmet.