3 - New York, Citi Bike

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Citi Bike has not actually launched yet but its debut is imminent (May 2013) . It is perhaps strange that such a large city has only just joined the bike share scheme club, however it promises to revolutionise the way people travel in New York, especially in Manhattan where you rarely see bikes further north than Houston Street.

When in operation (its opening was delayed due to hurricane Sandy), there will be around 5,500 bikes at 300 locations around Manhattan and Brooklyn Those living in or needing to get to places such as Alphabet City or Long Island City will be delighted as these areas are poorly served by the subway. For the moment the scheme does not extend further north than 59th Street, although there are plans to enlarge it to the Upper East and West Sides and to other areas of the city.

Like many of the either schemes, a 24-hour or seven-day pass is available to tourists although at $9.95 for a day and $25 for week, the costs are considerably higher than in many other cities. While you get the first 30 minutes of cycling for free, the costs thereafter are also fairly dear at $4 for an extra half hour, $13 for the next and $25 for the third ($12 per half hour thereafter). With prices like these some people may still opt for the subway given that a weekly ticket is a shade under $30, although that would be a shame as there is something magical about both riding in something other than a cab in Manhattan and moving like a local in Brooklyn or even Queens.

Keep up to date on developments on the Citi Bike NYC website.

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