Rental bikes expand footprint into Golden Gate Park

Bay Wheels bike share stations have expanded into Golden Gate Park just in time for the city’s biggest outdoor concert, Outside Lands.

Officials from the Recreation and Park Department, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio held a ribbon-cutting event Monday morning in Golden Gate Park to unveil one of the new bike docking stations.

Eight new stations are currently available in the park for the first time ever and the exact locations can be found on the Bay Wheels or Lyft apps.

Phil Ginsburg, the general manager of Rec and Park, said visitors will now have the option to rent a Bay Wheels bike from a station to see all of the park’s attractions and facilities, including the Conservatory of Flowers, the San Francisco Botanical Garden and tennis courts:

“With with our partnership with Lyft, it’s going to be so much easier to see it all.”

SFMTA Streets Division Director Tom Maguire said there are now more than 3,000 bikes from Bay Wheels in San Francisco, adding:

“Every additional ride that people make on a bike in San Francisco, reduces air pollution, reduces traffic congestion.”

In addition to the classic dock stations where both regular and e-bikes can be parked, there will be a group of bike racks or virtual stations just for e-bike parking.

Kanika Agrawal, general manager for Bay Wheels, which is owned by Lyft, said:

“These stations today fill a critical gap in our station network and really bring better connectivity between the park and the Sunset and Richmond.”

At Outside Lands, which takes place Friday to Sunday, Bay Wheels will have temporary valet stations at the intersection of John F. Kennedy and Transverse drives from noon to 11 p.m.

The expansion of the bike share stations is part of efforts by Rec and Park to improve access to the park since JFK Drive became car-free. Other improvements have included a new parking lot containing just blue accessible spaces and an expanded free shuttle service.

Below is a list of the new bike and virtual stations available inside Golden Gate Park and stations that are coming soon.

Classic Dock Bike Stations:

• Pompeii Circle at JFK Drive
• MLK Jr. Drive at Seventh Avenue
• JFK Drive at Eighth Avenue / Music Concourse Drive
• JFK Drive at Ocean Beach
• Spreckels Lake (coming soon)

Virtual Corral Bike Stations:

• Stow Lake
• JFK Drive at Chain of Lakes
• MLK Jr. Drive at Chain of Lakes
• Bowling Green Drive, north of the parking lot
• JFK Drive at Llyod Lake (coming soon)
• JFK Drive Drive at Lindley Meadow near 30th Avenue (coming soon)
• JFK Drive at Service Road between Hellman and Marx Meadows (coming soon)