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Baltimore Bike Share Deal Nearly Finalized

This is Baltimore's third try at launching a bike sharing program after previous attempts failed, but the city might be better off launching its program now than it would have been six years ago.

(TNS) -- After six years of delays, Baltimore is expected to take a critical step toward launching a citywide bike share program.

The city's spending panel is poised to approve Wednesday a $2.36 million contract with Bewegen Technologies to create Charm City Bikeshare, which plans to place 250 to 500 bikes and 25 to 50 electronic bike-share stations across Baltimore, according to the city's request for bids.

It's not clear when bikes will be available for short-term rental in Baltimore. The city would first spend a month testing bicycles at at least five stations.

Officials have provided few details about how Baltimore's program would work, but in other cities bikes can be rented at one station and returned to another.

The first station sites would include the Inner Harbor, Mount Vernon, Charles North, Jonestown, Fells Point, Hollins Market, Pigtown, Canton, Patterson Park, Mount Clare, Union Square, Federal Hill, Riverside, South Baltimore and Locust Point, according to the city's request for bids.

This is Baltimore's third try at launching a bike sharing program.

The latest attempt, in 2014, was delayed after the Montreal-based vendor selected by the city, Public Bike System Co., went bankrupt. In 2010, the city picked BCycle of Waterloo, Wis., to operate the program, but the contract expired before the bike share launched.

Jon M. Laria, chairman of the mayor's Bicycle Advisory Commission, said the wait has been frustrating, but the city might be better off launching its program now than it would have been six years ago.

Many other cities around the world now rent bikes, so Baltimore has been able to observe what has worked and what hasn't, he said.

©2016 The Baltimore Sun Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.