Bay Area Bike Share Seeks Naming Rights Sponsor As It Expands

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Bay Area Bike Share kiosks are about to become more ubiquitous in more places. The program looks to have ten times as many bikes within two years and is looking into selling naming rights.

Emily Stapleton, general manager of Bay Area Bike Share, told KCBS there will be 7,000 bicycles by 2017, far more than the 700 bikes in the pilot program. Stapleton said she think the program can exceed the success of the company's "Citi Bike" in New York.

"We are really looking to rival the Citi Bike program in terms of ridership, adoption and the presence of the system in the community," Stapleton said.

Citibank is the program's sponsor in the Big Apple. Stapleton said the expanded program here will probably bear a new name...maybe Google Gears, or Bikeforce, or Bikes of America.

"There is interest. We've had several good conversations in the Bay Area. I think that the recent deal in Portland, Oregon is a good signal for the bike share market as a whole," Stapleton said.

Nike bought the rights in Portland. Stapleton said there will also be valets working at the stations, once they expand to Berkeley, Oakland and Emeryville, besides San Francisco and San Jose.

"I truly think it's going to be transformational for the way people commute," Stapleton said.