Metro will temporarily close its Metro Bike Share stations in the North Hollywood area beginning Monday, January 17, to replace the agency’s dockless Smart Bikes with Classic Bikes. Metro Bike Share Program members in the North Hollywood area that depend on these bike share services should make alternate arrangements until March when Metro’s fleet replacement is expected to be complete.During this six- to eight-week transition, Metro will convert the current 23 stations that compose the Smart Bike system to a 12-station Classic Bike system to better serve the highest utilized locations in the area. The Classic stations will be available for short local trips and will be compatible with Metro Bike Share stations in other parts of L.A. County, including the Westside, downtown L.A. and Central L.A. areas.Metro will be removing “Smart Bikes” from its service offerings. The bikes, which are not required to be physically docked to a bike share station, have not proven popular with North Hollywood riders. Classic Bikes require a docked configuration, operate solely on foot pedaling, have higher ridership and are simpler to use.Metro will continue to operate a limited quantity of electric bikes in its fleet, including in the North Hollywood area once the conversion is completed.Metro’s Bike Share Program offers an important transportation alternative during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bike Share is an ideal socially distanced transportation choice. The agency is ensuring its cleaning protocols for bikes and stations are compliant with health agency recommendations.Metro previously partnered with the City of Los Angeles to install the bike share stations in North Hollywood. Over 200 stations are available in Downtown and Central L.A., North Hollywood and the Westside.For more information on Metro’s Bike Share Program, please visit www.metro.net/bikeshare.
Well maybe if people weren’t stealing the bikes and learn how to take care of them the company wouldn’t have down size the locations.
Metro Bike share is a joke, you guys have placed the stations in the worst locations, removed the E-bikes and done nothing with LA city to build bike lanes. Instead of making a viable bike sharing system you guys are basically selling ads to Doordash instead. SAD!
Why the reduction to 12 stations? The area needs more coverage, not less.
Pretty sure taxpayer money going to waste on the constant theft of the bikes and the bad stunts Metro has been pulling off with apparent complaints of customers getting randomly slammed with $200-$300 because they had previously happen to rent the exact bike that would get stolen weeks later, might be playing a role in that.
Honestly, if the customers randomly getting incorrectly slapped with $300 fee for a theft they were clearly not responsible for wasn’t an issue, I don’t think I’ll have an excuse to drive or take the train to work again, but the fact that Metro just cannot just simply get it to “just work” is the reason why I am avoiding the bikes at all costs.