CAPITAL DISTRICT — The CDPHP Cycle! Bike share program, the first program of its kind in the Capital District, is adding more than 20 new bike stations and 160 bikes in 2018, and is asking riders to help decide where they should place new locations.
Voting, which opened in late January, is expected to remain open for six weeks before CDTA, which operates the program, begins finalizing best options, according to Jonathan Scherzer, CDTA’s director of marketing. According to CDTA, public input will be considered alongside concerns such as population, city layout, and existing infrastructure.
The first season of CDPHP Cycle! ran from late July through November and included 160 bikes at 40 rack locations. The program signed up nearly 2,500 members, beating its 2,000 member projection, and logged 11,481 trips. The beginning of the 2018 bike share season will be weather dependent, according to CDTA, but the goal is mid-spring.
“There is a clear appetite to have more bicycles and racks available throughout the Capital Region,” said Scherzer. “When we began the project, data and similar market sizes indicated the area would be best served by a system of 300+ bikes. We went with 160 for the pilot year to get a better understanding of how it would work on the ground, so the increase was really planned from the beginning. The current plan is to double the bicycles available, and there will be additional station signage as well.”
Noting that the 2017 program didn’t kick off until late July, Scherzer said, “We are expecting a bigger year as the 2018 program will kick off sometime in the spring. We knew the region was interested in additional mobility choices, and were more than pleased with the reception given to CDPHP Cycle!”
