Bay Wheels Fully Expands Fleet Of E-Bikes Into Ingleside

In early April, Lyft-owned Bay Wheels expanded its fleet of hybrid e-bikes in the neighborhood.

Alex Mullaney Apr 17, 2020

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In early April, Lyft-owned Bay Wheels expanded its fleet of hybrid e-bikes in the neighborhood, affixing rentable bikes to the recently installed bike racks that once were crowded with e-scooters before the outbreak of coronavirus.

With Muni bus lines drastically minimized and streetcar routes cut by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the bikes offer another way for frontline workers to get around.

“We recognize transportation options for critical workers are limited during this time, so we’re offering critical healthcare workers a free 30-day Bay Wheels membership to help them get where they need to go,” Bay Wheels told The Light.

The company’s ebike service catered to about a third of Ocean Avenue before the expansion, primarily near City College of San Francisco and the Balboa Park BART Station where there are docking stations. There are no plans to add stations to Ocean Avenue, according to a spokesperson.

Neil Ballard, the District 7 representative on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Citizens’ Advisory Committee, expressed moderate enthusiasm for the addition of e-bikes.

“It’s great to see that even during a pandemic that bikes are being used on Ocean Avenue,” Ballard said. “Now the city just needs to install adequate infrastructure — such as sharrows in the least — to ensure biking can be done safely.”

More information about the Bay Wheels bikes can be found on their website.