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Council accepts informational update on joint Spin bike‑share program; city to continue subsidy and safety measures
Summary
City staff reported that the joint Millbrae–Burlingame Spin bike‑share program recorded more than 25,500 rides since May 2023 and is funded in part by a San Mateo County TA grant. Council accepted the informational update and directed continued monitoring and outreach on safety and parking of shared bikes.
Millbrae staff updated the City Council on Feb. 25 about the joint bike‑share program operated by Spin in partnership with Burlingame; the council accepted the informational report.
Environmental program manager Andrea Papajohn told the council the program began in May 2023 and currently deploys about 100 bikes across the two cities in winter months (up to about 200 in higher seasons). Papajohn said the program has recorded roughly 25,500 rides since launch and about 15,000 rides since January 2024. She described the average trip as about 1.5 miles and 23.5 minutes, and said the program “has prevented 1,940 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions,” citing the operator’s Ridership dashboard.
Nut graf: The program is offered at no net operating cost to the cities; capital, operations and liability are handled by Spin and a joint grant package from San Mateo County agencies. Councilmembers asked staff about safety, docking/parking behavior and geofencing near schools and the Spur Trail. Staff said they have added geofencing around school areas and parts of the Spur Trail, lowered speed limits on some corridors and are working with Spin on rebalancing and enforcement measures.
Funding and operations: Millbrae and Burlingame each received approximately $200,000 from a San Mateo County Transportation Authority grant, with city matches of $20,000 each (the two-city pool was described as about $440,000 total). Papajohn said approximately $183,000 remained in the current grant balance and the city expects remaining funds to subsidize rides for roughly 6–12 months at current levels; staff said they will apply for additional MTC grant opportunities.
Program issues and remedies: Staff acknowledged problems such as bikes parked in the right-of-way or on private property, sidewalk riding and underage riders not wearing helmets. Papajohn said Spin monitors kit returns with photos and can block users who repeatedly break rules; the city and operator have also added corrals and are expanding them, plus geofencing around sensitive places and daily rebalancing efforts by Spin.
Ending: The council accepted the update (vote 5-0). Staff will continue to monitor ridership, oversee safety measures and pursue additional grant funding to sustain the program and subsidized rides.
