New York Thinks About Bike Sharing

New York City is considering a plan to institute a bike-sharing program in the city.

1 minute read

July 14, 2008, 8:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


Bike-share programs have existed in Paris, Copenhagen, Vancouver, Barcelona and Milan, but only a few American cities, including Washington, D.C., have tried it.

The experiment last year, the New York Bike-Share Project, was run by a nonprofit group, the Forum for Urban Design. Twenty bicycles were available free, for up to 30 minutes, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bicycles could be dropped off at a handful of locations in and around Greenwich Village.

"New York is a world-class city for biking, and we are looking to build a world-class bike network," said the city's transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, in a statement. "The number of bike commuters has increased 77 percent since 2000. We now have more than 300 miles of on-street bike lanes, more than 5,000 bike racks, and have distributed more than 15,000 bicycle helmets. Alongside this infrastructure investment, we continue to look for new ways to reach our goal of doubling the number of bicycle commuters."

Friday, July 11, 2008 in The New York Times

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 14, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Cars driving under automatic congestion pricing toll machines on Broadway next to the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan, New York City.

Data reveals that NYC’s bet on congestion pricing has paid off

After almost two years of the program, reports show positive impacts on traffic and air quality and no disruptions to parking.

October 13, 2026 - Marcelo Remond

A crane lifts a manufactured house, with is rectangular and does not yet have a roof.

HUD modernizes 50-year-old manufactured housing framework

The Next Generation Manufactured Housing Action Plan establishes new energy-efficiency standards for manufactured homes, and new guidelines for anchoring them.

October 8, 2026 - Boston Real Estate Times

People in Chicago cross the street. There are two CTA buses in the background.

Chicago city vehicles are on the hunt for illegally-parked cars

Cameras on the vehicles can automatically issue tickets to drivers who park their cars in bus or bike lanes.

5 hours ago - Block Club Chicago

A large brown house in Massachusetts.

Small single-family homes are illegal in most of MA. Voters can change that

Most land zoned for single-family housing in Massachusetts requires at least 40,000 square feet of land per house.

October 16 - NPR

A group of people gather around Metra's battery-powered bus.

Public steps inside U.S.’s first battery-powered train

Metra’s groundbreaking train feature modern seats and a futuristic battery car.

October 16 - Chicago Sun Times