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NYC Claims Bike-Share Program Had 100,000 Rides In First 10 Days Of Operation

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York City residents and tourists have already taken 100,000 rides just 10 days since the country's largest bike-sharing program's launch.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced Wednesday more than 30,000 riders have signed up as annual members. She says the program has had more than 6,000 daily and weekly users, too.

"Citi Bike is New York's summer blockbuster, and in just 10 days these signature blue bikes are already everywhere on city streets," said Sadik-Khan in a release. "While impressive, these 100,000 rides are just a fraction of all the bike rides New Yorkers are making to get around, and we expect that Citi Bike will shift into even higher gear this summer as more people sign up."

The city DOT also announced Citi Bike riders have traveled more than 270,000 miles so far, which is greater than the distance to the moon. It is unclear how that distance was determined.

The contentious bike-share program launched to annual members only on Memorial Day, before opening up to daily and weekly members on June 2.

The bike-sharing program is called Citi Bike after a $41 million sponsorship from Citibank.

LINK: Citi Bike Official Website

An annual membership costs $95 and a day pass costs $9.95.

Annual members receive an electronic key to undock a bike from any station, allowing unlimited trips up to 45 minutes for an entire year without incurring any additional costs.

Daily and weekly riders are entitled to unlimited 30-minute rides for the duration of their membership.

The bike-share program is made up of 6,000 bikes at 330 stations in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, though eventually officials hope to expand to 10,000 bikes and 600 docking stations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

Some lawsuits were filed before the first bike even hit the road. Some residents, drivers and street vendors also voiced their opposition to the program.

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