Bike Share Coming to Philadelphia — But Not Until Next Year

A Wisconsin company, a local firm founded in 2013 and a subsidiary of Comcast are teaming up to bring bike share to Philadelphia.

The city is poised to announce a bike share program at 2, according to a media advisory released by the city. Mayor Michael Nutter and other city officials will appear at the steps of the Art Museum today to announce the “dream team” — the city’s words, not mine — it has selected to run the bike sharing program. Let’s hope the bike share program goes better than 8-8.

This “dream team” is not the 1992 Olympic basketball team, steamrolling opponents with ease — it needs time to create. The Inquirer’s Amelia Brust reports the bike share program won’t be hitting Philadelphia until spring of next year.

Furthermore, here’s the dream team:

  • B-Cycle, a “next-gen bike sharing” company based in Wisconsin, will provide the bikes
  • Bicycle Transit Systems, a local firm “passionate about developing efficiencies in operations and logistics” that was founded in 2013, will do planning and operation
  • Front Row Marketing, a subsidiary of Comcast Spectacor, will market sponsorships

And you thought we could have a program in this city without Comcast’s involvement. Ha!

The Inquirer reports B-Cycle will provide 1,800 bicycles at 185 stations in the city. The company beat out two others for the contract, Alta Bicycle Share (with bikes from the recently-bankrupt Bixi) and Social Bicycles.

The city isn’t covering operating costs but is investing $3 million in the project. It’s hoping for millions in state and federal grants.