New York’s bike share gets a new new new new new launch date

New York City’s bike-share program — originally slated for late summer, then this fall, then some point next year, then who-knows-when-because-Sandy — will be launched in May of 2013. If you believe the city, which you shouldn’t, based on its prior track record.

D.C.’s version of the bike share, which made launching one look deceptively easy.

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Here’s what the plan is this time, according to The New York Times:

In August, the city said the program would initially feature 7,000 bikes at 420 stations by March, then expand to 10,000 bikes and 600 stations by this summer.

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Now, the plan is to have at least 5,500 bikes at 293 stations by May. There is no timeline for the program to expand to 10,000 bikes. …

[City transportation commissioner Janette] Sadik-Khan said “we still remain committed” to expanding the program to 10,000 bikes, but she said she was unsure when that might happen.

My guess: no time soon! My sympathies to Ms. Sadik-Khan, however, for constantly having to update her talking points on why the bike share isn’t yet in place.

Anyway, no need to rush. Who would ever need a bike in a city with public transit that always works flawlessly and in which there’s never any problem getting fuel?

Intrade, the online, bet-on-anything-you-want market, isn’t yet taking bets on when New York’s bike share will go live. If a market appears there, a bit of investment advice: go short.