Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bike Sharing

Check Out the Reaction to Bike-Share Installation Once the Novelty Is Gone

With NYC's bike-share system in the delicate period where new stations are going in but people can't yet use the bikes, the city's press corps is gorging on stories about conflict. The reporters at the Post and CBS2 better enjoy it while it lasts, because once people get used to seeing bike-share in action, these stations are going to be about as newsworthy as bus shelters.

When Capital Bikeshare launched in Washington, DC, public meetings saw the same type of wrangling about station placement that's happening in NYC today. Certain station locations aroused opposition because some people thought they were too dangerous, or inappropriate for residential blocks, or irresistible to vandals.

Now, two and a half years after the DC region's bike-share system got off the ground, new stations are just a matter of course. In this video, via Shaun Courtney at the Georgetown Patch, a crew installs one of two stations that arrived in historic Georgetown last week. About 30 seconds in, a silver-haired gentleman walks by and says, "This is great to see. It saves me about five blocks."

Of course, most New Yorkers might very well be reacting to bike-share in more or less the same way, but while the sight of public bike stations is still so novel and many people remain unsure of how the whole thing will work, it's the complainers who've got the media megaphone.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

DOT Warns City Council Against Letting Taxi Drivers Park in Loading Zones

A Council bill to let for-hire vehicle drivers park in delivery zones will cause more double parking and congestion, city officials warned.

September 16, 2025

MTA Employees’ Personal Cars Create Dirty, Hazardous Environment In East New York

MTA employees completely disrespect residents of the neighborhood with cars that they never move.

September 16, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: ‘Gridlock Gov’ Alert Edition

Blame New York City's "Gridlock Alert Day" traffic next week on Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York Post. Plus more news.

September 16, 2025

Possible Adams Veto Looms Over Renewed Council Push for Universal Daylighting

The bill will need two-thirds of the Council's support to overcome a resistant Mayor Adams.

September 15, 2025

Delivery App Companies Oppose A City Council E-Bike Safety Bill … Again

Delivery workers want protection from being fired from their app jobs without a reason. True to form, the app companies don't want them to have it.

September 15, 2025

Parks Dept. to Canal Street: ‘No Trees for You!’

The Parks Department wants to plant more trees — it does! — but so many things are conspiring against the agency on Manhattan's worst street.

September 15, 2025
See all posts