Essex

In NYC they just started the Citibike share program. https://citibikenyc.com/

Coincidentally I saw a TV ad from Jacoby and Meyers (law firm) advertising legal advice for cyclists hit by cars. Savvy advertising given the number of innocent bike riders now thrown among the vehicular wolves. When opportunity knocks - seize the moment!

https://www.jmlawyer.com/bicycle-accidents

I-Like-To-Bike

The lawyer ad has this doozy in its copy, "Even the most seasoned and alert rider who wears a helmet can fall victim to such injuries..."

Still, not as hysterical as the OP rhetoric.

RobertHurst

Denver's bike share program has been running for years with virtually no reported injuries. It's freaky man.

Essex

Just wait fellas. I know what goes down in this town.

lostarchitect 

IMO, more riders (unseasoned or not) = more visibility and awareness. I am happy about the bike program.

I-Like-To-Bike

Wait for what?

mikeybikes

Even with all the non-helmeted B-Cyclists!

It is quite awesome.

bikebuddha 

Chattanooga Tennessee has a bike share program that's been a huge success and embraced by the local business community.

vol

Things happened even before your wait started :

"The launch was delayed because of problems including ... a woman made off with one of the bicycles Sunday evening as workers unloaded them at a Manhattan station, police said. Bloomberg said the bike was recovered. Police were looking for a suspect." NYC Bike Sharing story

I-Like-To-Bike

The shocking news isn't that a bicycle was stolen in NYC ; the news is that it was recovered.

RobertHurst

Not a helmet in sight.

Essex

Local (non NYC) biking color does not equate to NYC biking conditions. Denver, Chattanooga are not equivalents. If you add maniac taxi drivers, salmon-riding deliverymen, pedestrians who do not abide traffic rules and "dare me" attitudes - you're getting close.

An ambulance chasing law firm advertising cycling-related services on television suggests that they've done their homework regarding possible / future litigation related to putting more inexperienced riders on the street. The assumption is that non-riders, casual riders, or others will use the service. And as a guy who rides the city - it ain't no cakewalk. Let the games begin.

RobertHurst

If it can make it there
It can make it anywhere

Dahon.Steve

I really can't wait to start next week. Those are really nice bikes but you can't steal them because I don't know if anyone makes those frames. Sure the parts can be sold but that's not much money.

KonAaron Snake 

I've found NYC to have very good drivers actually - better than most and very aware of traffic. The peds are bonkers.

Overall, I'd say Manhattan is safer to ride than most areas I've been. It's the newer cities that are death traps - places like Tampa. Cities like NYC weren't 100% designed around cars, so it's usually slower traffic and more accessible.

bikebuddha 

Yes but I bet it has fewer hog trucks driving through downtown than chattanooga.

buzzman

FWIW, I counted 12 Citibike riders on my way in to work today. 9 were helmeted, 3 were not.

1, who ran a red light but thought better of it mid-intersection when he almost got nailed by on-coming traffic, was texting while riding (or he could have been checking his GPS). The rest were riding responsibly.

CommuteCommando

Haven't made up my mind about the whole bike share thing. My first impression is that I would not like to share a bike, or share the road with a lot of people not serious enough to have their own.

digibud

Obama's minions are preventing the TRUTH from coming out. (tongue in cheek there, kids)

I-Like-To-Bike

NYC provincialism outted by NYT:
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/ny...r-fanfare.html

spare_wheel

Bike share == smiling tourists and glossy real estate development brochures.

buzzman

Thanks for that link! Missed that one. Certainly got a chuckle out of me. I used the London Barclay bikes years ago and they've been a hit in Boston for more than a year now. Like many others I've been waiting for NYC to catch on.

Now that they have them though it is pretty cool to see them in NYC. Bikes galore here especially in the past week as the weather has gotten more favorable.

ratdog

Not really when you consider this from their FAQ page.

"Theft and vandalism have been virtually nonexistent in the newest bike share systems, such as Barclays Cycle Hire in London, Capital Bike Share in Washington and BIXI in Montreal. The latest bike share systems use a strong, reliable locking mechanism. Bike share bikes are made with special parts that have no independent resale value, and bikes and stations cannot be disassembled without special proprietary tools. New York’s bikes will also have GPS units on board, allowing for location of missing bikes."

vol

Can thieves remove the GPS and put it on their own bikes? Hopefully they have thought about this when designing it.

CB HI

I am pretty sure it is a black box GPS unit. The cyclist cannot see a read out, but the GPS unit transmits a position to a remote computer or tracking unit. Just like the old car jacking radio transmitters that cops could use to find stolen cars.