Bikeshare Pitched as First-Mile, Last-Mile Solution in Los Angeles

Laura J. Nelson reports on the details of a recently announced plan to finally deliver bikeshare in Los Angeles, focusing specifically on the system's potential in "boosting ridership and connecting would-be transit commuters to the county's growing rail system" by filling "first-mile, last mile" gaps.

Nelson provides more information about the proposed system and how it would achieve these goals:

"An $11-million plan backed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will distribute 1,100 bicycles at 65 kiosks throughout downtown Los Angeles and the surrounding area with more bikes clustered near major transit hubs, like Union Station and 7th / Metro, where four rail lines intersect. The system is designed for short, point-to-point trips, rather than all-day rental: Users would pull a bicycle out of the adjacent racks, hop on, and drop the bike off at a kiosk near their destination."

For now, the county-operated bikeshare system will operate only in Downtown, beginning in Spring of 2016, with plans to expand to Pasadena the following year and "possible future sites in Hollywood, Venice and East Los Angeles."

Nelson's coverage includes a lot more information about the difficulties that have defeated past bikeshare proposals in Los Angeles and the challenges remaining for the current proposal (such as funding and fare structures).