Portland's Alta to run NYC bike-share program

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A Portland company was tapped to run a new bike-sharing program in New York City.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration has chosen a Portland company to roll out a bike sharing program in the Big Apple.

Alta Bicycle Share Inc., which keeps its main offices along Grand Avenue in Southeast Portland, on Wednesday said it has been chosen by the New York City Department of Transportation to develop and operate a bike share system to launch next year.

The New York City bike-share system is expected to include about 10,000 bicycles, distributed at 600 solar-powered stations across New York City.

The system is designed to fill gaps in the city’s transit system with a network of durable bikes available 24 hours a day at self-service stations located every few blocks. It will make smartphone apps available for users to view bike availability in real time.

The program is expected to be financed primarily by sponsorships, and the announcement Wednesday kicked-off Alta’s efforts to identify a system sponsor.

Alta, which will be responsible for all system operations, projects the system will create 200 jobs through locally sourcing maintenance and support, including installation, repairs, cleaning and customer support.

“We could not be more excited to bring our successful bike share system to New York City,” Alta President Alison Cohen said in a news release.

Alta manages bike-sharing systems globally. Its current programs include the New Balance Hubway in Boston; Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Va.; and the Melbourne Bike Share in Australia.

The company, a subsidiary of Alta Planning + Design, is also working on bike share feasibility studies for Providence, R.I; Seattle, and Jackson Hole, Wyo.