The first time I saw a bike share program was during my first trip to Copenhagen. The bikes were pretty crappy and rarely available at the docking areas. One positive about the program was that borrowing a bike was free. I’m not sure of the exact amount, but from what I recall we had to put in a €1 coin to get a bike. Once you returned your bike to one of the docking areas, your coin was returned. I tested out one of the bikes for a half hour or so and it was a fun way to spend a little time during the visit.

(I recently read that the bike share program in Copenhagen was recently discontinued.)

Over a year ago I heard that a bike share program would be coming to NYC. Right away, memories of the bikes in Copenhagen came to mind. I definitely felt that adding a bike share program to NY would be a great addition. It could be another fun activity if you don’t own a bike or it could be used just to get around the city.

One big different with the NYC bike share program (called Citi Bike), is that the bikes are not free to use. To use a bike, you need to purchase an annual membership or an access pass good for 24 hours or 7 days.