Residents of four neighborhoods not serviced by Citi Bike will soon be able to ride away on dockless bikes of a different breed.
The Department of Transportation announced Tuesday the names of several dockless bike share companies that will launch in three boroughs later this month. Pace and Lime will operate in the Rockaways, JUMP and ofo in the Bronx, and JUMP and Lime in Staten Island.
Motivate, also part of the pilot, will hit the streets of Coney Island later this year.
Each neighborhood will ultimately have 200 bicycles that will be prohibited from leaving their designated zones.
Unlike Citi Bike, dockless bicycles can be parked anywhere and are locked and unlocked using a mobile app. Rates vary, but a 30-minute ride typically costs $2 or less.
After July 28, JUMP and Lime will add motorized pedal-assisted bicycles to their fleets. The pedal-assist feature will encourage riders to take longer trips, according to JUMP founder and CEO Ryan Rzepecki.
“Each of the five selected companies are leaders in this emerging field, and in the course of the pilot, we will see how they perform in diverse New York City neighborhoods that have never before seen bike share,” DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said in a news release. “We strongly encourage New Yorkers to get out this month to explore some great neighborhoods by bike — and give us feedback on their dockless experience.”
The city has moved forward with the program despite critics’ concerns that riders will leave bicycles in irresponsible locations and take up valuable sidewalk space.
Contracts signed by the five companies are still pending final approval, according to the DOT.
