So much for Velodrome City.
Or so it would seem: Mayor Mike’s plan to provide rental bikes for everyone seems to have hit a speed bump.
Alta, the company contracted to administer the 10,000-bike time-share program that Bloomberg is so high on is asking its sponsoring partner, Citibank, to advance it $3.5 million in case the already-delayed program doesn’t start until next year.
Two weeks ago, the mayor announced that the end-of-July target date was already going to be missed due to mysterious “software” problems — the same problems Alta faced in Tennessee in May.
Time to be frank: This was a dumb idea from the git-go: New York — a city with far too many reckless bikers as it is — is to sponsor 10,000 rental bikes and 600 docking stations all around the city?
Let the mayhem begin!
Operationally, The Post had to file freedom-of-information requests to learn that City Hall had nixed such fundamentals as a trial period for the program — or that the charge for a lost bike could run as much as (hold on to your bike helmets) $1,200.
The city ostensibly is insulated from liability — including financial exposure — by the agreement, though it is planning to split “profits” with Alta.
But what profits?
Alta is already seeking a bailout from Citibank — er, excuse us, make that an accelerated payment of its $41 million, five-year contract.
It’s not hard to imagine Citibank palming off this white elephant on taxpayers, once some tourist-renter pulverizes a pedestrian and the lawyers start lining up.
New York City is, after all, the tort-law capital of the universe (thanks, Shelly Silver and all your buddies in Albany!).
Meanwhile, it’s not clear just when the program will be back on track.
The Transportation Department, rarely the source of timely — to say nothing of truthful — news updates, is playing true to form on this one.
“We’re still working on the time-line and will provide an update once we’ve finalized the details,” flack Seth Solomonow said yesterday.
In other words, DOT is clueless, too.
As always.
Time to put this boondoggle to bed.