Werner is a retired sociology professor living in Cobble Hill. He signed up for bike-share to help him get around the neighborhood (his nearest Citi Bike station is a couple of blocks away in Brooklyn Heights).

At age 87, Werner finally gave up driving about a month ago. The bikes increase his range and riding a few blocks is physically easier than walking. Even with painted bike lanes like the one on Henry Street, though, he does not feel completely comfortable riding with traffic. “You’re still too close to the cars. They should build more of the two-way ones, like the one by Prospect Park.”

On the day Citi Bike launched, Werner was out testing out the system. “A reporter interviewed me, a nice woman from the New York Post. She kept asking me if I was having any problems using the bikes, I kept telling her, no, I’ve had no problems. The next day I opened the paper, and the story said there was nothing but problems!”