Metro pilot project will put more than 1,000 rental bicycles around downtown Los Angeles

By David Medzerian

USC students, staff and faculty will have a new transportation option — shared bikes — starting in the spring.

The bike-sharing program is a pilot project of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The project will put nearly 1,100 bikes at 65 stations throughout downtown Los Angeles.

The bikes will be available for short-term hire at downtown locations including USC, Union Station, the Convention Center, Staples Center, the Grand Central Market and more. Fares for the bike rentals have yet to be determined.

“We are building new ways for Angelenos to get around,” LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a news release. “Riding a bike is another option people can use to commute to work or explore the region. Today marks the first step in Metro’s plan to bring bikeshare to cities across the county.”

The $11 million contract with Bicycle Transit Systems, approved June 25 by the Metro board, includes a smartphone app to provide real-time information about bike availability. Bicycle Transit Systems operates 34 systems with some 7,000 bicycles in North and South America.