Seattle: Rasmussen Drops Bike-Share Bill; Funding Proving More Difficult to Wrangle

(Seattle Weekly) The launch of Seattle’s bike-share program in Spring 2014 is widely considered a given at this point. But doing so will require tweaks to Seattle’s Municipal Code - tweaks that Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen attempts to address in the bike-share legislation he dropped this morning.

Obtaining the full $4 million in funding the program needs to take off, however, may prove slightly more difficult than changing the city’s code. Though a new private sponsor is set to be announced late this week or early next week, according to Holly Houser, the executive director of Puget Sound Bike Share, the effort still needs “some big-money sponsors” to meet its goal.

Rasmussen’s legislation, Council Bill No. 117847, which is scheduled to be heard July 23 in the transportation committee he chairs, would amend Seattle Municipal Code to allow for Bike Share vending on city streets and sidewalks. The bill would also allow for permits to be issued authorizing the use of curb space or other parking spaces for bike-share stations. Currently, Municipal Code forbids both activities - which are obviously needed to get Seattle’s bike-share program off the ground. Both changes are considered minor; the legislation seems like little more than a formality.

The bigger hurdle, according to Houser, may be finding all the money needed to launch the program. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/thedailyweekly/947700-129/bike-share-says-houser-seattle-million