Bike Sharing Program To Be Handled By Oregon Company
By Chuck Sudo in News on Mar 15, 2012 9:00PM
The Emanuel administration yesterday announced an Oregon company would handle the implementation of a new large scale bike sharing program slated to begin this summer.
Alta Bicycle Share, LLC, which designs, implements and manages bike sharing programs globally, will oversee a program that could encompass 500 docking stations near CTA and rail stations and high density population areas by 2014. In a press release, Mayor Emanuel said the plan is for 3,000 bikes in 300 docking stations will be installed this year.
“Chicago is going to offer one of the top bike sharing programs in the world, and one of the largest in the United States,” Mayor Emanuel said. “Alta and their partner Public Bike System Company are the global leaders in bike sharing programs, and will set up and operate the new system that will be a key part of achieving our goal of making Chicago a world-class city for bicycling.”Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein also revealed that he worked as a consultant for Alta Bicycle Share last year, after he left his post as transportation commissioner in Washington, DC. Klein told the Sun-Times he recused himself from the request for proposal process as a result.