I took a ride on the 1, 2, 3 this week to try things out — early afternoon from 14th Street to Chambers — after three months of CitiBike. While perhaps not as informative as this Gothamist story, the pics here will give you a sense of how empty the tubes are both on the platform and in the cars.

A friend who commutes from the Bronx to Chelsea every day says the rush hours have gotten more crowded since Phase 1 started, but she can still get a seat — that is if you want one. Option A might be to just surf it.