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Los Angeles Bike Share Program Dies After Advertising Conflict

Los Angeles Bike Share Program Dies After Advertising Conflict

Bad news for biking enthusiasts in Los Angeles. According to LA Downtown News, Bike Nation’s deal with the city of Los Angeles to create a Bike Share program is now basically dead. The plan, originally slated to open this April, called for an eventual 125 stations in Downtown and 400 (containing 4,000 bikes) across Los Angeles.

But the program depended on Bike Nation’s ability to advertise at its kiosks, and somehow somebody didn’t point out the city’s contract with JCDecaux and CBS Outdoor giving that company exclusive rights until 2021 to advertise on any street furniture, including bike kiosks.

“Without advertising, there’s no revenue stream to support [the system],” Bike Nation Chief Operating Officer Derek Fretheim told Downtown News.

Of course there’s a chance that the city could alter its contract with JCDecaux and CBS Outdoor, but it seems unlikely. Other issues include coordinating  bike share regionally across LA’s many municipalities.

Bike Nation does intend to move ahead with its share plans in Fullerton and Long Beach and it has already begun one in Anaheim.

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