Planning to film in the vicinity of a Metro Bike Share Station? In most areas where these Stations are located, such as in Downtown Los Angeles, a process exists for their relocation and/or removal in conjunction with permitted film production.
When full station removal is not necessary, less work intensive adjustments, such as the alteration of station signage to suit your project needs, may also be an option, given adequate notice.
In this Production Alert we outline options available from Bicycle Transit System (BTS). Please note that these options and the fees associated with each are controlled by Bicycle Transit and not set or collected by FilmLA.
All Bike Share station relocation/removal requests are subject to the following terms set by LA Metro:
- All requests must be approved by LA Metro.
- Bicycle Transit reserves the right to deny a request if notice is received with less than 24 hours’ notice.
- Stations with ridership in the top performing 5 percent of the entire system are not eligible for removal. Filmmakers are responsible for determining if a station can be removed. Waivers can only be granted through written authorization from the program office at LA Metro AND partner cities. If authorized, an additional 20% fee will be applied daily.
- Station end treatments (bollards, signage, wheel stops) for on street locations can only be removed by LADOT or partner agency.
Should you have questions about the Metro contact for removal/relocation of bike stations, please contact Marilyn Almanza by phone at 323.382.5993 or by email at malmanza@bicycletransit.com.
For answers to general production related questions, we invite you to contact FilmLA’s Production Planning Department at 213.977.8600.
Option 1: Station shut down, docked bicycles left on site.
Fee: $1,000.00
This option is only available if the site is secured with no possible public access to the station. Price includes four (4) hours of service interruption and inspection of the station and bicycles once service is reactivated. Additional hours charged at $250.00 per hour. This option requires a minimum notice of five (5) business days to proceed. If less than five (5) days’ notice is provided, an expediting fee of 25% will apply.
- Optional Add-on A: Altering station and bikes signage, poster, decals to a different name or logo. This requires a minimum notice of 15 business days and approval of visuals from LA Metro and partners. Charged at $500 per 4 hours.
- Optional Add-on B: Access to station for bike checkouts to the organization requesting the shutdown. This will allow you to purchase passes from the station to unlock a bike if required for use. This requires a minimum notice of 5 business days to be available as an add on. Charged at $300 per 4 hours.
Option 2: Station shut down, bicycles removed from site.
Fee: $1,000.00
Price includes one day of storage. Additional days charged at $1,000.00 per day. This option requires a minimum notice of ten (10) business days to proceed. If less than ten (10) days’ notice is provided, an expediting fee of 25% will apply.
- Optional Add-on A: Altering station and bikes signage, poster, decals to a different name or logo. Requires a minimum notice of 15 business days and approval of visuals from LA Metro and partners. Charged at $1,000 per day.
Option 3: Station removed from location, stored, and reinstalled.
Fee: $13,000.00
Price includes seven (7) days of storage, additional days charged at $1,000.00 per day. This option requires a minimum notice of 15 business days to proceed. If less than 15 days’ notice is provided, an expediting fee of 50% will apply.
Payment:
An initial invoice will be issued that must be paid in full prior to the station shutdown and bike and/or station removal. Payments are accepted in advance by check, wire, or ACH. A second invoice will be issued if penalties, additional hours, or days need to be billed.
Penalties:
A penalty fee of $5,000.00 will be invoiced per day in the event a Metro Bike Station is shut down without prior authorization. Paying the penalty fee will not replace or act as an approval and consent for any organization to modify stations, displace program bikes, and cause public service interruptions.