New York City has a new definition of fitness based on weight limit. It appears that anything that goes beyond 260 pounds is overweight.
Obesity and traffic jam are just few of the issues that the city has. The government thought of launching a program that will target both of these- the bike-share program. Anyone can sign up to use the 40-pound bikes as long as they don’t weigh over 260 pounds.
The government partners with Alta Bicycle Share for this program. As early as now, several negative reactions were already received by the bicycle sharing company based in Portland, Oregon. Locals find this program discriminating and irrelevant.
Where did the 260-pound limit come from? According to the New York Post, this limit is a suggestion from the bike manufacturer itself. To participate with this program, one has to pay $25 per week and sign a Citi Bike Rental agreement which includes the weight limit under the Prohibited Acts section.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg is now serious in promoting this program after postponing it for a year to help the locals ward off obesity. In fact, he also prohibited trans fat products in the city as well as sodas exceeding 16 ounces.
The program is not concentrated on New York City alone as it is also introduced to other cities like Boston, Portland and Washington D.C. However, the government aims to fully implement this program in over 600 locations in the city with 10,000 bikes. In this program, one can get a bike from one location and return it to another location within the city.
Registration for this program has begun April where 5,000 people signed up on its first day. These people actually listed for a one-year contract paying $103. This seems to be a good start despite apprehensions received about this program.
