Plans are underway to unveil a bike sharing system in Philadelphia in the fall of 2014. Mayor Michael Nutter has committed $3 million of the city's capital budget toward bringing the system to life, and a request for proposals is anticipated this fall.
The program is expected to cost between $10 and $15 million, which will be raised from state and federal transportation grants as well as private sponsors. The plan calls for a system of 150 to 200 bike share stations and 1,500 to 2,000 bikes that will serve an area that stretches from the Delaware River into West Philadelphia, from the Navy Yard through Center City to beyond Temple University's main campus.
The system is projected to generate two million trips per year by residents, commuters, students and visitors. Officials touted the success other cities have seen with bike-sharing schemes, including Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, New York, Denver, Toronto, Montreal, London and Paris.
"But we know that we have to tailor our system to meet the needs of Philadelphians, which is why I'm asking everyone to take some time to think about where they'd like to see bike sharing in their neighborhoods or workplaces," said deputy mayor for transportation and utilities Rina Cutler, in a statement announcing the program.
