LA Metro Bike Share Expands To Venice

VENICE (CBSLA.com) —  Metro's bike sharing system expanded to Venice Thursday, with 15 stations and 65 bicycles added to a network that includes current locations in downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena and San Pedro.

"There's no better way to explore L.A.'s beaches than by bike -- and now, we're making it easier than ever to discover Venice on two wheels,'' said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who is also chair of the Metro Board of Directors. "Metro Bike Share has brought easy bicycle access to neighborhoods across our region, and I am proud that this program continues to thrive and expand."

With Venice stations added, the region's bike share expansions now total 1,400 bicycles at up to 125 stations within L.A. County.

Stations in Venice and Santa Monica include the Venice Beach Boardwalk, the Abbot Kinney shopping district, Muscle Beach, Rose Avenue, Downtown Santa Monica Expo Line Station, the 17th Street/SMC Expo Line Station and the Marvin Braude Bike Trail.

Metro is studying the feasibility of future bike share expansions to more than 20 other areas of the county with the goal of creating a regionwide system of more than 4,000 bicycles.

"Metro's Bike Share program is sure to be very popular in Venice, one of the county's cultural treasures," said Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, Metro Board Member. "Our system will give Westsiders more mobility choices that they desperately need."

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