It was supposed to launch last year. Then it was going to start this spring. Now, Bike Nation, the supposed operator of L.A.'s citywide bike-share system, is saying the first of its 4,000 bikes won't appear on city streets until "sometime" next year.
A couple of weeks ago we took note of the coming and going of the system's supposed start date. Now comes additional information on what's behind the delay.
After initially implying that advertising restrictions included in new city regulations would not be an obstacle to their business plan, Laura J. Nelson reports that, due to the conflict, "Bike Nation has delayed the bike-share launch while it reconfigures its business model and searches for corporate sponsors."
"Bike Nation executives knew about the contract and had hoped to find wiggle room because it does not specifically mention bicycle kiosks," she explains. "But any item placed in the public right of way, even if it isn't listed in the contract, is in CBS' and JCDecaux's purview, according to a spokeswoman for the city's Bureau of Street Services. That includes sponsorship messages."
"The company expects to launch initially without ads but possibly add them later," says Nelson, who adds that "Bike Nation's executives say the earliest the program will roll out is sometime next year."
FULL STORY: L.A. bike-sharing program hits a snag
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