METRO to add bike-sharing to its transit system

Houston Bike Share made the decision to suspend 75 of its 150 stations Jan. 1 due to financial concerns. It then approached METRO with an opportunity to add bike-sharing to its transit system. METRO has previously marketed Houston BCycle as a first- and last-mile transit alternative.

The agency will now work with Houston Bike Share on developing a six- to nine-month transition plan, with the objective of adapting the existing bike-share footprint to complement METRO’s transit system, Fotinos said.

“Connecting bicycles to METRO’s transit system has been identified as one of the key strategies to grow local ridership and build use of the system,” Fotinos said.

The board mentioned expanding the system’s usage to include children commuting to school and adding tricycles for seniors or those otherwise unable to ride a bicycle.

“I think it’s time to take a fresh look at how the service is provided. I want to emphasize equity. I want to emphasize connectivity. I want to emphasize access,” METRO CEO Thomas Lambert said at the Jan. 18 meeting.

While the current agreement is short-term, an action plan will be brought to the board at the end of the transition period, Lambert said.