The New York Bike-Share Project
Jul 7 2007 - Jul 11 2007
A summer charette produced by the Forum for Urban Design and Storefront For Art and Architecture
www.nybikeshare.org


Daily July 7-11: Free bikes from 97 Kenmare Street and a roving satellite station.

Imagine walking to a sidewalk corner and finding a public bicycle. With a cellphone call or swipe of a card, you unlock it from its bike rack and ride it across town. Once at your destination, you steer to the closest bike rack and, with one more call or card swipe, return the bike to the public network. You pay less than $.50 for the trip, and the bike is once again available for the taking.

Bike-sharing already exists in cities across Europe, including Oslo, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Lyon and Frankfurt. Paris alone is currently installing over 10,000 bikes at 750 stations. Bike-sharing is a reality overseas, revolutionizing transportation networks and greening the urban fabric. How could it launch in New York?

From July 7-11, 2007, the Forum For Urban Design, partnering with Storefront for Art and Architecture, will introduce New Yorkers to bike-sharing through a highly-visible, five-day design charette. Located at one of the most exciting street corners in Lower Manhattan, The New York Bike-Share Project will consist of three parts: an experimental bike-share (free bike rentals!), an exhibition of European successes and a design charette with public presentations. The Forum expects that this event will attract attention and participation from city government, media, and the urban-planning and biking communities, as well as the general public.

Schedule of events
July 7-11, all day: Free 30-minute bike rentals from 97 Kenmare Street and a second bike-share “station” whose location will change each day. Bikes can be rented or returned to either station.
July 9, 6pm: Public presentation of bike share programs in Barcelona, Stockholm and Oslo
July 10, 6pm: Pamplona, Lyon and Paris
July 11, 6pm: Presentation of the charette results and closing reception

The Experiment (free bike rentals!)
From July 7-11, New Yorkers and tourists alike will enjoy free 30-minute rides between Storefront for Art and Architecture (97 Kenmare St.) and a second bike-share station. Locations for the second station will include the Hudson River Park, Washington Square Park, Williamsburg, City Hall, and SoHo. Visit nybikeshare.org for the most up-to-date locations and dates, as well as real-time text and video blogging of the experiment.

The Exhibition
Storefront for Art and Architecture (97 Kenmare St.) will host a exhibition of European bike-share programs and the people who use them. It will be open to the public July 7-11.

The Charette
The Forum For Urban Design will facilitate a public charette to imagine a future bike-share program in New York City. Public presentations from design and transportation experts will begin at 6 pm on July 9 and 10. Final charette results will be published on nybikeshare.org and presented to the public at 6 pm on July 11. Reception to follow.

The Website
Visit our website www.nybikeshare.org for real-time text and video blogging of the New York Bike-Share Project throughout its five days.

Sponsors
Cemusa (www.cemusa.com)
Clear Channel Adshel (www.clearchanneladshel.com)
Metro Bicycles (www.metrobicycles.com)
Bike and Roll (www.bikeandroll.com)