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N.Y.U. Bike Share on a roll

A new shipment of purple Worksman Cycle bikes arrived at N.Y.U. last week.

New York University’s Bike Share, the first free bike-lending program in New York City, and the first program of its kind at a large urban university — last week increased its capacity by 150 percent — just in time for spring riding season. Forty-five Worksman Cycle bikes (made in Queens at the company’s solar-powered factory) arrived on campus Wed., March 21, at Washington Place and Washington Square East. This brings the total to 75 bikes available free for short-term use to N.Y.U. students, faculty and staff at 10 locations across Lower Manhattan. The bikes, painted a distinctive purple, are an easy-riding, single-speed, roadster model, all made in the U.S. N.Y.U. has been increasing bike parking capacity in recent several years — both externally, with the Department of Transportation installing dozens of bike racks across campus, as well as internal parking spots for N.Y.U. students, faculty and staff. The N.Y.U. Bike Share program has more than 1,000 members, and the interest is growing, founded on the idea that bicycling can be a safe, healthy, sustainable and fun way to get around town. Local residents, too, are no doubt happy to see the bike share grow compared to the university’s commuter bus service, which many Downtowners consider redundant — given the city’s excellent mass transit system — as well as a source of added pollution and congestion.

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