In a good sign for the deployment of Citi Bike in New York City, Chattanooga went live with its bike-share system last night. The system, called Bike Chattanooga, consists of 300 bikes at 28 stations. More importantly, as far as New York is concerned: It uses the same bikes and kiosks as Citi Bike, which has been delayed by software glitches.
The Daily News reported over the weekend that, after missing a scheduled May 1 launch, Bike Chattanooga would likely be delayed until fall. But Chattanoogans won't have to wait that long, and last night's launch may mean New Yorkers won't have to either. It's too early to say whether Citi Bike will definitely launch in August (we have an inquiry in with DOT about this), but the news out of Tennessee indicates that the software problems won't be a long-term bug.
Also, hats off to Chattanooga for being a pioneer in the region. As the press release notes, Bike Chattanooga is the first significant bike-share system in the southeast (which I suppose must not include Miami Beach).
