Audit Reveals Problems With NYC Bike Share Program

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An audit of New York's bike share program reveals spotty maintenance, poor cleanliness and defective parking stations.

That's what city Comptroller Scott Stringer reported Thursday in his review of New York City Bike Share -- the largest such program in the country.

Its 6,000 two-wheelers are seen all over Manhattan each day.

As of last August, Citi Bike riders took about 34,000 rides per day, making the program what Stringer calls a "critical component of our transportation network.''

WEB EXTRA: Read The Complete Audit

However, the comptroller said improvements must be made to comply with the New York City Department of Transportation.

In addition to problems with maintenance, cleanliness and docking stations, Stringer said the bikes are not adequately inspected.

"New York City Bike Share's management of Citi Bike left too many New Yorkers in the lurch,'' Stringer said. "While Citi Bike has become part of our urban landscape, auditors found that the bike sharing program's spotty maintenance, poorly-cleaned bikes and substandard docking stations inconvenienced riders and discouraged growth in the system.''

According to maintenance data, 54 percent of the bikes were inspected last March, and 73 percent in April; the contract with the city requires a 100 percent maintenance check at least once a month.

"With every missed maintenance check, the safety risk of undisclosed bike defects increases,'' Stringer said.

In addition, the audit showed that of 29 stations sampled in February 2014, only 11 were inspected as required and the remaining 18 were inspected less than twice a week or not at all.

And while the contract requires a response to cleanliness complaints within 48 hours for stations, and 96 hours for bikes, the audit found only 60 percent of the sampled complaints for stations were completed within the required time frame. Of the bike cleanliness complaints, 83 percent remained open for an average of 79 days.

"Citi Bike is supposed to be about exercise and convenience, not an exercise in inconvenience," Stringer told WCBS 880's Monica Miller.

The private program is named for Citigroup, which spent $41 million to be its lead sponsor.

The Bikeshare Holdings company recently announced its plan to purchase Alta Bicycle Share, the parent company of New York City Bike Share -- promising an infusion of capital for improvements. In addition, plans are in the works to expand the City Bike system.

"I'm hoping under new management the audit that we finished will be part of thinking about a better management system because New Yorkers want this program to succeed," Stringer told 1010 WINS.

He hopes the audit can help Citi Bike program to succeed in future.

"This audit drilled down to specific concerns New Yorkers had about the bike program, we want to strengthen this program, expand it, the way to do that is to look at the past so we can fix this program for the future," Stringer said.

The company's new CEO, Jay Walder, who is the former Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman, said the company's new owners and managers are already beginning the hard work of reinventing Citi Bike, 1010 WINS reported. He promises a much better service next year.

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