Bike share programs are becoming all the rage, and last month Los Angeles joined Dublin, London, Boston, Seattle and New York in deploying a short-term bike rental program across the area. In celebration, a fleet of 300 cyclists, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, tested out the new bikes. Los Angeles opened 65 stations around downtown; the program has about 1,000 bikes in its fleet, and they’re all available for the public to use. For a city known for its car traffic, this could help ease some gridlock. The program was initially only accessible through a monthly and year-round pass system; walk-up ridership was added Aug. 1. For $20 per month, riders can use a bike for free for the first 30 minutes, and every half hour after costs $1.75. A year-round pass is $40, and walk-up riders pay $3.50 for every 30 minutes of use. The city has placed bike racks in strategic spots around downtown, including Little Tokyo, Chinatown, the Los Angeles Convention Center and the Fashion District. Stations are also placed around public transport hubs like Union Station and high-traffic bus stops. Officials hope to extend the program to Pasadena, North Hollywood, Burbank and beyond if it proves successful.