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Here's how it might work—and what it will cost you—to hop on one of Metro's bikes when their new bike sharing comes to downtown Los Angeles next year.
Metro's $11 million contract will bring 1,100 bikes to downtown Los Angeles in mid-2016 at 65 stations from Union Station to USC. You'll be able to check out a bike from a kiosk, take it for a ride, and then dock it at another kiosk. The bikes will be available 24/7, and you'll be able to check their availability via a smartphone app.
A Metro staff report shows what it might cost you to take one of these bikes for a ride, Streetsblog reports. This structure isn't set in stone, as it still has to be heard at a Planning and Programming Committee meeting on November 18 and a full board meeting on December 3.
Here's how it might work: At first, users who purchase monthly passes will get a TAP card, but a different one than is currently used by Metro passengers. This card comes via Bicycle Transit Systems, Inc., Metro's partner in the bike sharing program. You will only be able to use this card to unlock bikes, not to take the Metro. Towards the end of 2016, users will be able to use their Metro TAP cards to unlock bikes by entering their TAP card number when purchasing a bike share pass. However, the bike-share account and the Metro account—while able to be stored on the same card—will not merge, so you'll still need to purchase them separately. (You can purchase Metro rides online at their revamped website.)
Under this proposal, a 30-minute ride would cost you $3.50, and each additional 30 minutes after that will also cost $3.50. A 30-day pass will cost $20. This will allow for as many 30-minute trips as you like, though you will be charged $1.75 for every extra half hour. A flex pass can be purchased for $40 annually, which will cut the cost of all 30-minute trips in half to $1.75. There are currently no daily, monthly or annual passes figured in to the plan, user may choose to have their monthly passes automatically renewed for a year at time, amounting to $240.
Santa Monica's bike share program launches this Thursday.
