Four New York boroughs to trial dockless bike-share scheme

Four boroughs in New York will host a dockless bike share scheme this summer to offer citizens an inexpensive transportation option. The project, announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio, will allow the city to evaluate different dockless companies as well as those offering pedal-assist bikes. Initially, two pilots will launch in beach communities Coney Island in Brooklyn and the Rockaways in Queens in July. Two more initiatives will then follow in the neighbourhood near Fordham University in the Bronx and on Sta
June 4, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Four boroughs in New York will host a dockless bike share scheme this summer to offer citizens an inexpensive transportation option. The project, announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio, will allow the city to evaluate different dockless companies as well as those offering pedal-assist bikes.


Initially, two pilots will launch in beach communities Coney Island in Brooklyn and the Rockaways in Queens in July. Two more initiatives will then follow in the neighbourhood near Fordham University in the Bronx and on Staten Island's North Shore.

The project stems from a Request for Expressions of Interest issued by Department of Transport (DoT) in December 2017 that sought ideas around next-generation dockless public bike share systems.

The DoT will present plans to each community board and establish the boundaries for each area. In addition, the department will select the companies assigned to the communities.

These bikes will arrive on a rolling basis with the intention of having 200 models available to offer riders half-hour journeys. Users will be able to rent the vehicles from a mobile phone, usually for $1 or $2 per ride.

During the initiative, the DoT will assess companies' compliance with pilot requirements around data accessibility and user privacy. The criteria will also include the safety, availability and durability of the bikes.

After September, the DoT will work with local stakeholders to extend or discontinue the trials based on performance.

Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • Shaking up the taxi market with smarter ride requests
    February 24, 2016
    Timothy Compston looks at the rise of Uber and ride request mobile apps. There is little doubt that the advent of Uber has come as major shock to established taxi operators and has caused regulators, cities and DOTs to rethink current regulations so they can keep pace with the changing dynamics of the marketplace.
    Read More
  • Social media a one-stop shop for travel information
    January 20, 2012
    Exponentially widening mobile phone ownership is opening up the field to new ways of obtaining and disseminating better travel information from and to public transport users, via for example social media and tracking riders' phones. Over 50 US transit agencies, including major actors such as TriMet, in the metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon, Dallas Area Rapid Transit in Texas, and San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), as well as smaller operators, now have Facebook and/or Twitter accoun
    Read More
  • Copper used as transit bacteria killer
    October 4, 2021
    Pilot in Toronto and Vancouver tests copper's ability to keep riders safe from infection
    Read More
  • Londoners invited to trial autonomous shuttle
    September 13, 2017
    A partnership between Keolis, Navya, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, ENGIE, Here East and Our Parklife is offering Londoners the opportunity to trial a new autonomous electric shuttle, open to the public in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park during September. The Navya shuttle is being trialled by transport group Keolis to showcase how autonomous vehicles could transform integrated public transport and offers people a chance to experience this innovative technology for themselves.
    Read More

Highlighted Content