Overweight Riders Can't Participate In NYC's New Bike Share Program

ShutterstockNew York's new bike share program, designed in part to improve the health of those who use it, will not be open to cyclists who weigh more than 260 pounds.

The limit is noted in the Citi Bike rental agreement, which must be signed before a customer can use a bicycle:

You must not exceed the maximum weight limit for the Citi Bike bicycle (260 pounds) or the cargo carrier (17 pounds).

The program, however, has no way to enforce the weight limit, and Department of Transportation Policy Director Jon Orcutt told the New York Post the City does not plan to try: "I think people will be self-selecting, practical and safe."

Orcutt also said the limit was included for legal reasons.

Citi Bike is scheduled to open this month, though a specific date has not been announced.

Registration opened in April, and within a day, 5,000 people had paid $103 for annual memberships, indicating public excitement for a program that is more than a year behind schedule.