You’ve heard all the buzz about the NYC Bike Share program for the last few months. Maybe you voted online for a station in the neighborhood. It’s scheduled to launch this summer, and this weekend is your chance to get up close and personal with the program at an open house on Saturday, Jan. 28 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Essex Street Market. Program operators Alta Bicycle Share will show off the bikes, answer questions and give away goodies in an event sponsored by the Lower East Side BID, the city’s Department of Transportation and the Essex Street Market.
The privately funded project will place 10,000 bikes at 600 stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, with eventual expansions to other boroughs. Members pay a fee for either short-term (for example, 24 hours or 3 days) or long-term (annual) membership. They can then check out and return bikes at any stations. The NYC fees have not been announced yet, but similar programs run by Alta in D.C. and Boston include the first 30 minutes of every ride in the membership price, with prices for a three-hour ride running between $30 and $40 depending on membership level.
