A deal has been reached to bring bike-sharing to San Francisco, with the official launch date of the 
much-delayed plan set for August.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, a regional agency, announced Thursday that it had reached an agreement with Alta Bicycle Share, the private company set to manage the project. The network was originally scheduled to be in place by last April, but stalled talks pushed back the start date.

When the network is launched, cyclists will be able to pick up and drop off 700 bikes at 70 different locations in San Francisco and the Peninsula. Most of the stations in San Francisco will be situated in the Financial District and along the Bay. The bike stations in the Peninsula will be located in Palo Alto, Redwood City, Mountain View and San Jose.

Funding for the $7 million project was split between local transit agencies, the air district and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the region’s lead transportation agency. Once more money is available, the network will be expanded to include 300 more bikes and 30 additional stations.

wreisman@sfexaminer.com