Seattle bike share done Friday, cost city over $2.2 million

Seattle's Pronto bike share program will end its two and a half year run this Friday just before midnight. The program has seen dismal membership numbers and cost the city more than $2.2. million.

Pictured: Riders pose with their wheels for a group photo as Pronto Cycle Share launches a bike share program in Seattle on Monday, October 13, 2014. The program will have 500 bicycles available for rent at 50 stations mostly in the core of Seattle. less Seattle's Pronto bike share program will end its two and a half year run this Friday just before midnight. The program has seen dismal membership numbers and cost the city more than $2.2. million.

Pictured: ... more Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Seattle bike share done Friday, cost city over $2.2 million 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

A year ago, city of Seattle officials laid out $1.4 million to buy up the remainder of the failing Pronto bike share program.

The idea was that the city would invest in the program and revive it back to the successful, eco-friendly transportation tool that it was always meant to be.

Then, as the city wrapped up its budget process last year, it announced it would end the program this year -- but there would be a replacement service.

And then in January, the city let loose that it was actually just going to let the tires run flat on the bike share dreams of Seattle, opting instead to reinvest a $3 million allocation for a new service into other transportation projects.

Well, at 11:59 p.m. Friday, Pronto will cease to exist. On Saturday, workers will collect bikes from across the city before taking down the stations and preparing all the hard goods for surplus sale to some other city, perhaps one where the bikes will see some use.

All told, the city spent $2,227,726 on the program (more than half of that in capital expenses, and the rest in operations), according to numbers provided by Norm Mah, spokesperson for the Seattle Department of Transportation.

Pronto launched in 2014 with the high hopes that Seattle's bike-friendly attitude would translate to the widespread use of a bike share program.

But that couldn't have been further from what happened.

Instead, the program floundered quickly with low usage across the board. Last May, the program had about 1,800 annual members. But what was perhaps even more telling about its lack of popularity was that city employees, who could get a significant discount on membership, barely used the program.

One report suggested Seattle's hills were a problem, which could be the case. Or perhaps it's the weather (rain much, anyone?). Or maybe it was the fact that there weren't enough stations. Or the bikes weren't good enough.

Cycling is still popular in the Emerald City, so presumably those hardy souls are willing to brave weather and hills (could you avoid either here? No, you couldn't).

Perhaps they just weren't willing to deal with the bikes and the available stations.

Perhaps Spokane (one of the cities interested in purchasing the soon-to-be surplus equipment) will find more success.

Daniel DeMay covers Seattle culture, business and transportation for seattlepi.com. He can be reached at 206-448-8362 or danieldemay@seattlepi.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Daniel_DeMay.