Originally Posted by
hotbike
But Citi Bike has already expanded into Jersey City. Staten Island shouldn't be much more difficult.
Good point. The funny thing about it is that the demand might well be lower on Staten Island because nearly the whole island is suburban, and no one would want to ride between another borough and Staten Island on Citi Bike. The ferry ride would make you exceed your time limit. You can't ride on the Verrazano Bridge on any bike. And I don't think you would ride over the Bayonne Bridge and to Jersey City. So it's self contained, which would contain the balancing problem onto Staten Island as it is in Jersey City. (You're not allowed to cross the Hudson with a bike.)
The Bronx could be more challenging to keep balanced etc, but I'm sure demand would be higher. Not everyone in the Bronx leaves the Bronx, so there would be plenty of intra-borough trips.
I read that in Paris, they give (or gave) incentives to ride uphill, since so many bikes left the hilltop at Monmartre. I don't remember if you get a free ride for starting at the bottom and ending at the top or if they actually put money in your account, but I gather it worked somewhat. I wonder if they would do that in the Bronx which has some very hilly parts.