NEW YORK—The city’s planned large-scale bike share system, originally scheduled to roll out last month, will not launch until March 2013, the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Friday.
A delay was first subtly noted in July on the Twitter account for the bike share, which began responding to queries about the system’s rollout date, which had changed from late July to August.
Soon after, Mayor Michael Bloomberg indicated the technology for the system was not ready.
The DOT affirmed that testing of the “high-performance software necessary to operate the new system” continues.
Technology in the system includes solar-powered, free-standing stations, circuits and GPS software in the bikes, and credit card payment technology.
The technology delays appear to stem from a dispute between providers Public Bike System Company (PBSC) and 8D Technologies. The two were partners in the BIXI bike sharing system that began in Montreal and several other cities. PBSC provided infrastructure and 8D provided the technology.
But 8D filed a $26 million lawsuit against PBSC earlier this year asserting that the company took “the gratuitous and unilateral decision to completely exclude 8D Technologies in all other cities that will deploy the BIXI system, including Chattanooga, New York, and Chicago.”
Chattanooga’s bike share launch, originally May 1, was delayed until July 24 because of “the need for additional technical adjustments,” according to the system’s website. The launch for Chicago’s system is delayed until next spring, according to a transportation department spokesperson quoted in the Chicago Sun-Times, but allegedly not because of technology issues.
The technology developed by 8D would be redeveloped by another company, according to 8D, bringing up intellectual property issues.
The PBSC operates successful bike shares in other cities, including Washington, D.C. It claims on its website: “We not only deliver great projects. We deliver them on time. Or ahead of time. A habit that we don’t plan on changing.”
PBSC could not be reached on Sunday for comment.
The delays wouldn’t affect a proposed bike share in Portland, Ore., according to Bike Portland. “We don’t anticipate that the New York delay will affect other cities’ planned launches,” Alta Planning & Design President Mia Birk told the media. Alta operates systems in partnership with PBSC and will operate the New York City system under the name New York City Bike Share.
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