Houston’s bike sharing system, which struggled in affording to maintain its growing system of docked bicycles mostly within Loop 610, got a boost Thursday when Metro officials approved folding the system into its own operations.
“I think it is critical to helping folks move around the city,” said Metropolitan Transit Authority board member Chris Hollins.
The Metro board approved a six-to-nine month transition period where operations now overseen by the nonprofit Houston Bike Share will move into the transit agency. Officials said rolling the bike borrowing system into the transit made sense both to address linking people with available transit and shift bike sharing to more areas of the city.
“It is just impossible for the bus service and light rail on its own to operate and provide total coverage,” said Kristina Ronneberg, policy and advocacy director for BikeHouston, which encourages improved cycling access in the city.
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Ronneberg called merging transit and cycling planning a “natural fit” to leverage not only increased bike lane building in Houston, but also add bike sharing in neighborhoods where people are interested in avoiding car trips.
“These two services need to be coordinated and seamless,” she said.
In a letter of support, Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis agreed, noting the investment bike sharing made in areas around Texas Southern University, Houston Community College and University of Houston.
“Houston BCycle offers a unique opportunity for Metro to expand access to public transit service in both urban and suburban areas with access to safe bicycle infrastructure,” Ellis wrote.
Though the board only approved a temporary transition, and $500,000 to allow bike sharing to continue to operate about half of the BCycle system, the intent is for Metro to keep operations going past 2023, CEO Tom Lambert said.
In November, the nonprofit shut down about half of the 153 kiosks around Houston where people could check out a bike, citing the low use in winter and need to control costs.
“We received funding for expansion, but revenue has not kept up with the pace of expansion or the costs associated with maintaining the additional stations and bikes,” said Remy Vogt, community outreach manager for Houston Bike Share.
A B-Cycle station outside the Harris County Civil Courthouse is shut down and wrapped in black plastic on Jan. 18, 2023, in Houston. B-Cycle shuttered about half of the 150 stations in the area in November, as part of what they call a cost saving move during winter.
Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographerdug.begley@chron.com
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Houston bike share program to become part of Metro operations - Houston Chronicle
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