WHEREAS:	Bicycles are a critical part of a cleaner, greener future in American transportation;
WHEREAS:	Motor vehicle emissions represent 31 percent of total carbon dioxide, 81 percent of carbon monoxide, and 49 percent of nitrogen oxides released in the U.S; and
WHEREAS:	A Mass Bike survey found that Boston-area residents want to have the opportunity to bike instead of driving, with 40 percent of those surveyed saying they would commute by bike if safe facilities were available; and
WHEREAS:	The beauty of the bike sharing program is that you can pick up your bike at one station, pedal to another part of the city, and drop it off at another station. If you need a bike later in the day, you insert the same credit card (or your yearly or monthly membership card) in a different kiosk (it remembers your number), and you pull out another bike; and
WHEREAS:	The bike-sharing program will revolutionize the way in which Cambridge residents travel; and
WHEREAS:	The Bixi bike-sharing program was slated to begin in Boston this summer, but funding delays pushed back the start of the program. This July, the Federal Transit Administration awarded the Boston region $3 million to institute a bike sharing program. This will be added to $2.5 million in previously pledged funds in the City of Boston.  MAPC is currently putting the contact out to bid on behalf of Boston, Cambridge and the other 99 MAPC communities; and
WHEREAS:	The City of Boston has also looked into private sponsorship of the bike share program. They have already secured $1.2 million in private sponsorship funding, typically at $50,000 per station.  New Balance and a few neighborhood hospitals have expressed interest in sponsoring stations; and
WHEREAS:	At the moment, Boston plans to roll with a minimum of 610 bikes with additional stations to follow after the initial start up.  Long term expansion calls for 400 stations and 5,000 bicycles in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline and other neighborhing communities; and
WHEREAS:	If Cambridge wants to participate in this program in a timely manner that allows for access to federal funding, matching funds must be secured within one year.  However to participate at launch in the spring of 2011, matching funds must be in place in the next month or two for the stations to be installed at that time; now therefore be it
ORDERED:	That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate department heads to assess the possibility of Cambridge participating in this program and make every effort to reach out to Boston to participate and report back to the City Council as soon as possible.