Agreed that the "city officials" (User1111--do you know their names?) response was inadequate (ie, don't just say the stations can be moved easily, say that if they are indeed in violation of ADA that will be corrected as soon as possible! "Better understanding how and where people use the bikes" has nothing to do with a code violation.)

That said, User1111 deserves credit for going to the meeting and raising the issue. On that note, may I suggest that the time and energy being spent venting outrage and trying to put one another "in their place" on this message board would be more productively spent addressing Citibike directly about the issue?

Here is Citibike's contact info page:

http://www.citibikenyc.com/contact

I just called them and relayed the ADA violation concerns described below to the Customer Service Representative I spoke with, who told me that calls and emails on the subject sent to the customer service email address linked above would be forwarded to the appropriate person in the Citibike organization.

If you too are concerned about this, please call or send an email expressing your concerns and maybe this can be corrected in a timely manner.

I don't happen to know who in the JC government would be best to address this to, or I'd offer their contact info, too--perhaps someone else can chime in with that?

If nothing else, Citibike and the JC officials working with them will not be able to say later on they were never told about this!

Hi,

Longtime lurker first time poster. I am motivated to post because I have been a JC resident and also an avid and regular user of Citibike since it started in NYC, and would like to try to address a lack of understanding I see in the general public as to how and why Citibike is set up the way it is.

Please note I do not work for Citibike, and am simply a mostly-satisfied user who hopes my experience-based perspective on this (very positive) development in JC can help people more clearly understand the many benefits of the system. Sorry if some of the below info is repetitive with previous posts, but I'm thinking it will be good if this post can serve as a useful one-stop reference for those unfamiliar with but considering Citibike.

Here goes:

Citibike is mainly about transportation?and providing an alternative, eco-friendly mode of transport around the city. ?While it is technically possible, Citibike is not really set up to accommodate recreational/joyriding or other long rides?(So don't look to Citibike if you want a bike for a long afternoon ride into LSP or along the river. If that is your plan, a bike shop eg, Grove Street Bicycles can rent you one for much less cost.)

Rather than recreational cycling,?Citibike is great for things like making 20-minute walks across town to run errands, keep appointments or visit friends into 5-minute bike rides. I find a Citibike is?very often the fastest way from point A to point B?in Manhattan, faster than taxis, trains, or buses (and I do not ride aggressively at all.) ?I expect similar in JC.

As riders save valuable time and get needed exercise, they are also making?more room on the subway or bus or more cabs available for those who cannot ride the bicycles?and need those other forms of transport (eg, wheelchair bound folks.)

Another (imo undersung) benefit of using Citibike is the system basically eliminates worries about bike theft for riders. When you take your personal bike to the store, you need to find a place to keep it secure while you shop, and that usually means chaining/locking the bike to a rack or similar. This takes time, and bikes get stolen very often even when locked up. In contrast, once you finish your ride to the store and click the Citibike into the kiosk, you are no longer responsible for the bike's security. Once you finish shopping, you simply take the same or another bike from the kiosk and continue on your way. The peace of mind this gives riders is a huge benefit and for me more than makes up for the fact that the bikes are not as nice to ride as my own personal bike.

Many also criticize the short time limits on bike rides and the fees charged for exceeding the limits. These are in place specifically to discourage things like recreational riders taking bikes into the park and keeping them unavailable to others for many hours. ?This helps keep bikes available for those short, practical trips the system is for. For those who don't know, if you are using a short term pass to access the system, you can take a bike out for 30 minutes without paying more, and after 30 minutes you pay a small fee for each additional half hour (see the citibike website for exact fees.) ?But if you have an annual pass ($149 as I write this, and discounts are easy to find) you get 45 minutes before incurring overtime fees.

Many (especially avid cyclists!) also criticize the design of the bikes. Here again, things may seem strange if you only look at cycling as a form of recreation or for long-distance personal transport, but as these bikes are designed for short trips as part of a community transportation system, there are actually a lot of clever design decisions to appreciate:

a) The bikes are geared lower than most, making them easy to pedal, and limiting their top speed. ?This make it easy for not-in-shape-people to hop on and get going (encouraging ridership), and helps keep riders from going excessively fast in the crowded urban environment (making things safer.)?

b) The bikes are also a bit heavier than most. On short trips, this doesn't matter much. Coupled with the low gearing, these are bikes few would want to steal (plus the distinctive shape means a stolen bike cannot simply be repainted and used without arousing suspicion, further deterring theft.) ?Less theft=lower system costs.

Regarding the cost and affordability of the membership fee, if you use the system regularly, for many Citibike can basically pay for itself. Most times I use Citibike in Manhattan it is instead of a subway, bus or taxi. Even at the full $149/year rate (btw so far I have always managed to find a discount code and have never paid "full retail"), if you can replace something like 50-60 subway/bus/light rail rides with bike rides in a year, you save enough to cover the bike membership fee. After that, every bike ride puts money in your pocket (as well as giving you exercise and saving you time!) This makes Citibike a good deal even for poor folks as long as they make sufficient use of the membership.

I would also urge everyone to reserve judgement on things like bike availability for at least a few months after the system launches in JC. In NYC, availability, while never perfect, has improved tremendously since the system launched. Bike usage patterns are tracked and adjustments are made based on those patterns, and getting things right requires real-world usage data which takes time to accumulate.

Again, hope the above helps people unfamiliar with the system understand what Citibike is, and is not good for.