The regional system would expand to the the East Bay cities of Berkeley, Oakland and Emeryville. Bikes would be added in San Jose and San Francisco.
(Updated 04/05/15) Bay Area Bike Share is notable on two fronts: First, its a regional, not a city program. Second, its a pilot program "with funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Initiatives Program and the Air District's (BAAQMD) Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) Program.
Emily Green writes about important changes proposed on both fronts. First, the headline-grabbing proposal—expanding tenfold the number of bikes:
In San Francisco, the number of bikes would jump from 328 to 4,500; in San Jose from 129 to 1,000. In the East Bay, 850 bikes would go to Oakland, 400 to Berkeley and 100 to Emeryville.
According to an email from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), it is uncertain what will happen with bike stations in Palo Alto, and Mountain View, and presumably Redwood City, as bike share in the three Peninsula cities experienced low utilization.
With the proposed expansion, the program appears to be transitioning from a pilot project to a permanent part of the Bay Area's many transportation options. Funding will need to come in part from "sponsorships from corporations" that the program's operator, Motivate (successor to Alta Bicycle Share) would find.
Next steps:
"A committee of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) will consider the measure at its meeting on Wednesday (April 8), and the full commission will vote on it later this spring," writes Green. "If approved, installation of the new stations would take place in 2016 and 2017."
*This post was updated to more accurately report the state of the bike share program in Palo Alto, Mountain View, and Redwood City.
FULL STORY: Bay Area Bike Share program rolls out ambitious growth plan
Research Links Urban Design and Human Happiness
An emerging field of ‘neuroarchitectural’ research is revealing how building facades and urban design impact the human brain and body.
Reimagining Your Street
How to use free online tools to redesign your local streetscape.
Research: Sprawl Linked to Poverty
Low-income families living in high-sprawl neighborhoods are limited in their access to education, jobs, and other amenities, often trapping them in a cycle of poverty.
Washington Lawmakers Eye Rent Stabilization
Democrats are pushing for a statewide rent stabilization bill that would give renters some protections while offering more flexibility for landlords than blanket rent control policies.
Wildfires Devastate LA Outdoor Education Spaces and Schools
The current Los Angeles wildfires have destroyed schools and outdoor education spaces like Eaton Canyon, displacing families and disrupting vital learning and community resources while highlighting the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
Research Affirms Safety of ‘Idaho Stop’
Allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs does not negatively impact safety and can help people on bikes more effectively navigate roadways.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA)
Ada County Highway District
Charles County Government
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland