Meet Bay Wheels Virtual Stations: More Parking, More Freedom

We're excited to announce a rollout of Virtual Stations, an easy and flexible way to park your Hybrid Ebike for free and help keep our classic stations available for traditional bike parking.

What Are Virtual Stations?

Bay Wheels Virtual Stations are designated parking zones at existing, publicly accessible bike racks in San Francisco to provide additional parking options for Ebikes beyond the physical Bay Wheels docks.

This initiative is part of an ongoing effort to ease high ridership at popular locations, reduce congestion, and improve overall fleet organization across San Francisco.

How Do They Work?

Parking at a Virtual Station is simple:

  • Find a Virtual Station: Check your Bay Wheels app for the designated Virtual Station icons on the map.
  • Park at a Public Rack: When you arrive, secure your Ebike to one of the public bike racks within the marked zone in the app.
  • Use the Cable Lock: Complete your ride by manually engaging the Ebike's built-in cable lock around the rack.
  • $2 Fee Waived: By ending your ride at a Virtual Station using the cable lock, the standard $2 out-of-station (OOS) fee is automatically waived.

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Why You’ll Love Them (Rider Benefits)

Virtual Stations are designed to give you an easier, more convenient ride:

  • More Parking Options: They provide additional, easy-to-find locations to end your trip, especially in areas with high demand or where physical stations are limited.
  • Avoid Parking Fees: You can enjoy the flexibility of parking at a public rack without incurring the $2 out-of-station fee.
  • Smoother Commutes: For high-volume areas like the Salesforce Transit Center, Virtual Stations act as overflow parking, helping you quickly end your trip without searching for an open dock.

Where Can I Find Them

We’ve deployed five Virtual Stations in the following high use locations:

  • Bush, North of Market (Bush St Racks)
  • Salesforce Transit Center (Transbay Terminal)
  • Howard & Beale
  • Embarcadero, next to bikeshare station (Pier 1)
  • Bayshore Caltrain Station
    Keep an eye on the app as we are working to finalize more locations!