Metro opens bike-sharing service in downtown LA


By
 in

Los Angeles launched the first bike-share system this summer, joining dozens of other major cities nationwide which have already adopted the system.

Bike share is a rental system intended for a short period of time that allows pass-holders and daily users to pick up and drop off a bike at any of its locations in Los Angeles. Users are able to take advantage of this rental system when traveling short distances across the city. According to the LA Metro website, riders can “get a bike from any Metro Bike wShare station, go for a ride, and give it back at any station. It’s easy —   just like riding a bike!”

By the end of its construction, Metro will install 65 bike-share stations across downtown Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times. Metro has created an app available for Android and iPhone in addition to its online map to find the nearest bike station to you.

Renting a bike works similar to a bus pass. Users must have a Metro TAP card (which can be purchased online or by vending machine) pre-loaded with funds. The user scans their card, and their shared bike is released from the dock. The meter begins to run from the moment the bike is undocked and ends as it is returned to a station. Beginning Aug. 1, if the user wants to use this system for a one-time event, a rental can be purchased with a credit card at the station for $3.50.

Purchasing a pass with an annual fee of $40 reduces the original price from $3.50 to $1.75 per half-hour. But until Oct. 1, half-hour rides will be only $1.75.

“I frequently commute to Downtown,” said Los Angeles resident and USC staff member Camillia Shofani.  Instead of paying and waiting for an Uber driver, which I only used until now, I can ride a bike for a cheaper price and get exercise as I explore Los Angeles.”

Metro also offers a monthly flex pass, where users can pay a one-time fee of $20 and have unlimited rides for up to 30 minutes each. This pass is suggested for those who plan on renting a bike three or more times throughout the work week.

Austin Thompson, DTLA resident and annual pass holder, said he used to worry about finding parking spots in the Downtown area when driving to work. Now, Thompson finds a station near his home and drops it off just a block away from work”

By the end of this year, Metro will expand the system to Pasadena. Other areas such as East Los Angeles, Hollywood and Venice Beach are being considered for possible expansion after the successful expansion to Santa Monica Pier.