The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) have officially installed the 200th Metro Bike Share station in Los Angeles County, marking a new milestone in the continued expansion of the county’s bike share system.
Located at the corner of Sunset and Silver Lake boulevards in Silver Lake, the latest station fills the gap in the local bike share network between Echo Park, Los Feliz, Koreatown and downtown L.A., making it easier for Metro Bike Share riders to travel on two wheels throughout the area. There are currently 22 stations in the area with more planned.
L.A. Metro worked closely with the city of Los Angeles to determine the location of new bike share stations in the Central L.A. area, including near major transit hubs and key local destinations.
“It’s a fact that the more stations you put in the ground, the more useful L.A. County’s bike share system becomes,” said Inglewood Mayor and Metro Board Chair James T. Butts. “Congratulations to Metro and the city of L.A. in reaching this new milestone, which helps make our network an even better two-wheeled transportation alternative.”
Both Sunset Boulevard and Silver Lake Boulevard have existing bicycle lanes that lead to the new station. The station is also served by L.A. Metro Bus lines, including the Metro Rapid 704.
“Everyone should have access to clean, healthy transportation,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Metro Bike Share offers Angelenos a safe, affordable and green way to get around our city, and this exciting milestone is another clear sign of our commitment to a sustainable future for Los Angeles.”
L.A. Metro will deploy some of its electric-assist bicycles at the new station to help bicyclists tackle some of the hilly terrain found in the Echo Park, Silver Lake and Los Feliz neighborhoods.
“As Metro builds out a robust public transportation infrastructure in the coming decades, we are also focused on providing complementary first- and last-mile solutions that integrate with our expanding system,” said L.A. Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. “Bike share is one of the most practical and cost-effective alternatives that will give L.A. County residents more choices to get where they need to go in our county without driving.”
At $1.75 for a 30-minute ride, Metro Bike Share is affordable and cheaper than renting a bike or scooter from private companies, says L.A. Metro, noting a similar ride would cost a person $8.80 on an Uber or Lyft Bike or scooter and $12.70 for a Bird scooter.
L.A. Metro’s Bike Share program is planning to expand to other communities within L.A. County. In fact, the agency is working on completing its Phase 3 expansion in Central L.A., North Hollywood and Westside, with additional stations installed every week. L.A. Metro also continues to improve the customer experience and mobile app functionality.
To date, nearly 983,000 trips have been made on Metro Bike Share in L.A. County. Approximately 75,000 Bike Share passes have been sold. Bike share riders have collectively traveled 3.1 million miles on the bicycles since the program launched in mid-2016 and by not driving have prevented 5.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
