Houston to add nearly 200 B-Cycles, new kiosks
Robert Downen | Houston Chronicle
Houston City Council on Wednesday approved a plan to increase the number of shareable bikes in the city.
The move extends the city’s contract with B-Cycle LLC another two years, to 2021, and provides roughly $500,000 for 199 additional bikes and 26 new kiosks at sites across Houston.
It is the second extension in as many years that city leaders have pursued as a way to combat pollution and traffic, and will bring the number of bikes up to nearly 1,000 by 2021.
The bikes first became available through a local pilot program in 2012. Since then, interest and availability in the bikes have steadily increased each year, with more than 165,000 rides logged last year.
The number of stations also has increased across the city, including downtown, university campuses and the Texas Medical Center. The new bikes are expected to begin hitting the streets by the end of the year. A map of existing locations can be viewed here.
Council members applauded the extension, and some noted that the bikes are preferable to the motorized scooters that cities, such as Austin, have made available.