NYC Bike Share Open House tomorrow and Saturday Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 2:58 PM By Denise Copeland/Betty the Bike When buses were no longer running during a London snow storm in December 2010, the bike share bikes were there for the determined traveler! Hopefully the NYC program will be just as successful as London's. You are invited a Bike Share Open House to check out the bikes and proposed locations that will be used for New York's Bike Share program set to launch this summer. In addition to viewing the bikes, you'll be able to ask questions and snag some cool free stuff too! Tomorrow, Wednesday, January 25th, the first Open House will be held at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Located between 8th and 9th Avenue at 41st Street, head to the main floor of the South Terminal between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. If you can't make it tomorrow, then plan to get to the Essex Street Market on Saturday, January 28th. The Open House will be held there from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The market is home to more than 20 independent merchants in the culturally diverse Lower East Side, and is located at 120 Essex Street (at Delancey Street). Bike share systems provide iconic, sturdy bikes at self-service docking stations around town. It's a great travel option that can make getting around a city a little easier. Already popular in London, Montreal, Washington, D.C. and Denver, the closest option to us will be available Summer 2012. Typically, bike share is best for quick trips ? in fact, long trips are discouraged by ever rising fees. In London, an overnight checkout easily equals the cost of a new bike! Users check a bike out using a membership or credit card, ride to a docking station near their destination and return the bike. Mobile apps will be available to show the status of available bikes and docking points at each station. Bike Share in NYC will be run by Alta Bicycle Share, and funded by private sponsorship and user fees, not taxpayer dollars. The system will have 10,000 bikes at over 600 stations, available 24/7, every day. Bike Share membership will be inexpensive (less than one monthly MetroCard). For more information, and to get your suggestions in for a share point, see the New York City Bike Share website. http://www.nycitybikeshare.com/ http://a841-tfpweb.nyc.gov/bikeshare/