Philadelphia bike sharing program looking for sugar daddy

 Citibank sponsors the bike share program in New York City. (Tom MacDonald/WHYY)

Citibank sponsors the bike share program in New York City. (Tom MacDonald/WHYY)

A bike sharing program is continuing to move forward in Philadelphia and the city is looking for a company with deep pockets to buy naming rights.

Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Utilities Rina Cutler says grants from both the public and private sector should cover the $10 million to $15 million cost of rolling out a bike share program.

“Eventually there will be somewhere between 150 and 200 bike share stations they will hold about 10 bikes a piece,” said Cutler. “When the program is fully operational in 2015 there will be somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 bikes.”

The city is seeking a corporate sponsor to buy naming rights for the program, as Citibank did in New York.

  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

Cutler says the bike share will not be citywide though it will cover a great deal of the city.

“From the Delaware River into West Philadelphia, from the Navy Yard through Center City and up to Temple University’s main campus in North Philadelphia so it will be pretty extensive,” she said.

The city has set up a website at phila.gov/bikeshare seeking private property owners willing to host bike share stations.

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal