CDTA bike-sharing program exceeded initial expectations

CAPITAL REGION, N.Y.» Bikes are back on the racks and ready to go for the second season of the CDPHP Cycle! program.

As spring weather makes its arrival, the freshly cleaned and tuned up bicycles have returned throughout the region for anyone to rent and use.

“We hope to follow up on what was a great three-month introductory period last year with a successful season,” said Carm Basile, chief executive officer of Capital District Transportation Authority, a partner in the program.

“The reaction to the bikes last year was outstanding,” Basile said, “It exceeded our expectations.”

So, CDTA and CDPHP decided to expand the bikeshare program. “It will be bigger and better,” Basile said.

Due to the great reception CDPHP Cycle! saw in 2017, more bicycles and stations have been added to the bikeshare program this year. The program has grown significantly from 160 to 350 bikes, and from 25 to 80 rack locations. “It’s doubling in size,” Basile said.

The program made its debut last July in Saratoga Springs, Troy, Schenectady and Albany. During the initial three-month period, before the bikes were stored away for winter, 11,418 trips were made throughout the region by a total of 2,467 members.

“People really responded very positively,” Basile said.

All together these riders traveled 26,877 miles and burned 1,075,090 calories, while reducing an estimated 23,701 pounds of carbon.

In Troy, there were 935 total rides. The top hubs in the city, based on data from 2017, are at Hill and Liberty streets, Monument Square and River and Vanderheyden streets.

In Saratoga Springs, there were a total of 1,362 rides last season. Here, the top stations are in Saratoga Spa State Park, at Railroad Run near the Saratoga YMCA and on Caroline Street in the city’s downtown district.

The Saratoga Springs and Troy communities each embraced the program very differently, Basile said. “In Saratoga, what our research showed was rides there were more leisure-based than they were in Troy and in Albany. In Troy, they were more purposeful … to get to the farmers market, to get to a bus stop, to get to class or to get to a job.”

Basile is glad to see the shared bikes being used in both ways. “People use them leisurely but they also use them purposefully,” he said.

Thinking back to last summer, “We were novices. It was our first year. We were a little unsure as to what to expect,” Basile said. “To see more than 11,000 rides in barely three months - we were very happy with that.”

Now with some experience in the bikeshare realm, Basile is certain that the program’s usage will continue to grow. He said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the numbers double for 2018, which will have a longer, six-month season of cycling.

CDTA and CDPHP will soon have a grand opening event and announcement for the second CDPHP Cycle! Season. Details are to be announced.

An early bird pricing option of $65 for the entire riding season is available through April 25. Users can also rent bikes hourly or monthly.

More information about CDPHP Cycle! Is available online at cdphpcycle.com or through the mobile app.