Tomorrow: City Council to vote on Bike Share

Tomorrow morning’s City Council agenda includes the bike share program as an item to be discussed and voted upon. Tomorrow, the full city council will vote to enter into an agreement with the bike share operator, Deco Bike.

ITEM DESCRIPTION:
This item is to authorize the City to enter into a Corporate Partnership Agreement with DecoBike, LLC to provide a privately funded Bikesharing Program. The Program will enhance alternative transportation throughout the City. This Agreement represents a capital investment valued at $7.2 million along with potential revenue of up to $2.6 million. The City will not use public taxpayer dollars to implement, manage and operate the Program. The Agreement is based upon a ten-year term with the option to renew for two additional five-year terms.

According to the city’s Bicycle Initiatives Program manager, Ed Clancy, the item is scheduled to be discussed and voted upon at 10:30 am. Having many of you show up would demonstrate support for the program and would send a message to the council that this is a good thing and we invite you to provide comments to Council on how they can use the bike share program as a tool to make San Diego a bicycle friendly city.

While it would be ideal to have the bicycle infrastructure in place to facilitate travel by visitors and occasional riders alike, we hope that the bike share program will push the city staff to implement the facilities needed, to make our streets more welcoming than it currently is, faster.

Update (7/9): City Council unanimously approved the item. Bike share is scheduled to be live and ready for use between January-March 2014.