May 15 2013

The State of Public Bike Share in North America

Just finished reading this article by Janet Larson:

http://sustainablog.org/2013/05/bike-sharing-programs-us/#comment-53275

I was blown away by the accuracy of her article and the current state of the fastest growing mode of public transportation – EVER!

There are a few notes that I would like to add:

1. The City of Toronto is complaining about the overhead and operational costs of their public bike share solution – this does not bode well for the “smart dock” technology despite the great membership program. Suggestions that the transit commission take over the operations may change the way public bike share is deployed in North America.

2. Phoenix will be moving forward with a “smart bike” technology with a twist – walk up users will also be able to use their credit card at a SandVault ”PayStation”.

3. The City of Austin and the City of Cincinnati, are both deciding on how to proceed with their Public Bike Share program.

4. Boise and Norfolk have gone through an RFI process and will be going to an RFP process.

5. Hamilton will be going to RFP process in the summer of 2013.

Exciting times are ahead for Public Bike Share! If you would like to add more to my rant – please send me an e-mail at dmoennick@gmail.com, of fill out the form below:

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Apr 22 2013

SandVault System Works After Flooding!

There is a reason why we run all wiring 3′ off the ground.

Not all cities have to deal with flooding, however this is something to consider for some locations.

There is a method to the design by the SandVault Group!

Mar 27 2013

Public Bike Share Puts People on Bikes!

Potential Austin Bike Share Station

Here is an article that proves it - http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/02/if-you-build-bike-share-riders-will-come/4673/ , but wait there is more proof.

In a recent RFP from the City of Boston, it states that PUBLIC BIKE SHARE has increased bicycle ridership in the City of Boston by 80% over ridership in 2007 – 80%!!!

The increase in ridership in Miami Beach and Washington DC must be off the charts!

Derrick

Jan 18 2013

DECOBIKE BREAKS BIKE SHARING RECORDS WITH SANDVAULT BIKE SHARE EQUIPMENT!

2012 marked a record-breaking year for DecoBike LLC’s Miami Beach bike sharing program with the country’s highest increase in ridership. With 1,290,606 rides logged in 2012 alone, it’s the busiest fleet per-bike of any US bikeshare program and represents more than a 100% increase in ridership from 2011. The program is a true leader with nearly 2 million total trips logged– more usage than all other US bike share programs combined, with the exception of Washington DC’s government-owned Capital Bikeshare.

DecoBike Miami Beach also continues to lead the country for memberships. To date it has generated more than 500,000 casual and subscribing members combined, far more than other any other US programs.

2013 rings in DecoBike’s scheduled expansion into a variety of new territories including the city of San Diego and other areas of Miami-Dade County, adding an estimated 240 new stations and 2,400 DecoBikes into the streets with other new programs to be announced in the coming months.

http://www.decobike.com/blog/2013/01/03/decobike-breaks-bike-share-records/

Jan 10 2013

Sacramento To Add Public Bike Share Solution

“Imagine a new public transportation system for Sacramento, flexible, cheap and sustainable, providing cardio-workout benefits and devouring near-zero energy. The system is neither experimental nor destined to become obsolete in a few years. In fact, it’s been tested in various formats for years and is established globally as a marvel of engineering logic.”

Dec 13 2012

The Rise of the Intima-City Includes Public Bike Share!

“Political involvement used to be measured by three metrics: Did you donate? Did you volunteer? Did you vote? Today, there’s a fourth dimension: Did you change your consumption habits to influence policy?”

http://media.ford.com/images/10031/FordTrendBook2013.pdf

Dec 12 2012

HEINEKEN LAUNCHES THE MURAL PROJECT IN PARTNERSHIP DECOBIKE

DecoBike Partners with sponsor Heineken for the Mural Project in Miami.

http://www.decobike.com/blog/

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/12/09/us/20121208-WYNWOOD-8.html

Dec 7 2012

Perfect Match: Metro Vancouver Melds Bikes and Transit



http://www.streetfilms.org/perfect-match-metro-vancouver-melds-bikes-and-transit/

Dec 4 2012

Frequently asked Questions and Answers concerning Bike Sharing

For any US City thinking about exploring public bike share systems, below is great information and one of the best places to start.

http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/Informal_Q_and_As_Final_6-14-12.pdf

Dec 3 2012

Bixi/Alta Continue Delays Even for Bike Share Systems Trying to Expand

Washington DC doesn’t have to contend with the software issues, as they’re system uses the older proven core technology. Will San Diego launch before San Fransisco, Chicago and New York?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-wire/post/capital-bikeshare-expansion-stalls-due-to-lack-of-materials/2012/12/03/cdfe2ae4-3d8a-11e2-ae43-cf491b837f7b_blog.html

Nov 28 2012

Every City is a Helmet City for Public Bike Share!

Helmet law or not all public bike share systems should offer the choice of a helmet.

“This is not an endorsement for any jurisdiction adopting an ordinance making it mandatory for cyclists to wear helmets, but an incident last weekend in Arlington should remind bikers that shielding their noggins should be a constant habit, not a sometimes thing.

ARLnow reports a cyclist out for a ride on Sunday afternoon was taken to an area hospital after being struck by a runaway dump truck which proceeded to knock him over and run over his head. Seriously:

The man was knocked to the ground and one of the truck’s tires ran over his head, said Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The man was wearing a helmet at the time and the helmet likely saved his life. He was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital’s trauma center with non-life-threatening injuries, Sternbeck said.

Seriously, helmet laws are pointless governmental busywork and don’t prevent bike crashes or injuries, but helmets are very important cycling accessories that can do amazing things, like PROTECT YOUR HEAD FROM BEING CRUSHED BY A RENEGADE DUMP TRUCK.”

http://dcist.com/2012/11/helmet_laws_are_stupid_but_heres_wh.php

Nov 26 2012

DecoBike Short-listed for City of Tampa

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/three-companies-bid-to-bring-bike-sharing-to-tampa/1263295

Nov 17 2012

DecoBike Wins Public Bike Share in San Diego!

vote on public bike share vendors.

Let the people decide!

During the presentation in September with the Mayor of San Diego, the Mayor asked the participants to fill out a survey on the three public bike share solutions present, SandVaults bike share equipment and Deco’s / Rugged bike share cycle were there and up for the challenge.

Well, I guess the results speak for itself! Congratulations to Deco Bike and to the City of San Diego.

Sep 6 2012

Miami Beach Public Bike Share – More Than Double the Amount of Members Than the Rest of All US Bike Share Systems Combined!

Great Information on Public Bike Share Systems in the United States (Sept 2012):

http://publicbikeshare.com/community/

Aug 22 2012

“New Kid” on the Public Bike Share Block

There is a new kid on the public bike share block.

Bike Nation will be deploying systems in:

Anaheim, CA

Los Angeles, CA

Long Beach, CA

Jul 27 2012

We Love Bicycling! Bike Share Gets People To Remember!

http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/nutrition-weight-loss/7-sneaky-ways-cycling-takes-pounds

Jul 19 2012

New York Bike Share Opens!

New York City University Bike Share Opens!

This is not to be confused with the delayed public bike share systems from BIXI. This is a University bike share in the following locations that is very inexpensive with 75 bikes and 10 locations!

http://momentummag.com/articles/new-york-city-university-worksman-cycles-bike-share

Jul 9 2012

Mineta Transportation Institute – Public Bike Share Study

Please have a look at this North American Public Bikesharing report!!

http://publicbikeshare.com/community/feasibility-studies/

“Public bikesharing—the shared use of a bicycle fleet—is an innovative transportation strategy that has recently emerged in major North American cities. Information technology (IT)-based bikesharing systems typically position bicycles throughout an urban environment, among a network of docking stations, for immediate access. Trips can be one-way, round-trip, or both, depending on the operator. Bikesharing can serve as both a first-and-last mile (connector to other modes) and a many-mile solution. As of January 2012, 15 IT-based, public bikesharing systems were operating in the United States, with a total of 172,070 users and 5,238 bicycles. Four IT-based programs in Canada had a total of 44,352 users and 6,235 bicycles.

This study evaluates public bikesharing in North America, reviewing the advances in technology and major events during its rapid expansion. We conducted 14 interviews with industry experts, public officials, and governmental agencies in the United States and Canada during summer 2011/spring 2012 and interviewed all 19 IT-based bikesharing organizations in the United States and Canada in spring 2012. Several bikesharing insurance experts were also consulted in spring 2012. Notable developments during this period include the emergence of a close partnership between vendor and operator and technological advances, such as mobile bike-docking stations that can be moved to different locations and real-time bike/station tracking to facilitate system rebalancing and provide user information.

During fall 2011 and early 2012, we also completed a user survey (n=10,661) to obtain information on four early IT-based systems: BIXI in Montreal; BIXI in Toronto; Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C.; and Nice Ride Minnesota in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and Saint Paul). The survey found that the most common trip purpose for bikesharing is commuting to either work or school. Not surprisingly, respondents in all cities indicated that they increased bicycling as a result of bikesharing. Respondents in the denser cities generally stated that they walked and rode bus and rail less, while in the Twin Cities, respondents reported that they walked and rode rail more but rode the bus slightly less. These shifts may be a function of city size and density, as open-access bicycles can more quickly and easily serve riders on congested transportation networks. Respondents in all cities overwhelmingly indicated that they drive less as a result of bikesharing, indicating that it reduces vehicle miles/kilometers traveled and vehicle emissions.” – http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1029-public-bikesharing-understanding-early-operators-users.pdf

Jul 9 2012

The Province on Public Bike Share and Helmets – Local Company Has the Solution!

“I have ridden bicycles with a helmet for the last 30 years and now feel naked if I ride without one. I have spent many years riding professionally as a bike patrol supervisor, I run a bike-tour company (fraserriverbiketours.com) and forth ree decades while enjoying the sport I have witnessed first hand dozens of times helmets have prevented serious injury.

Nobody plans to have an accident; that is why they are called accidents. Once when I was waiting for a light beside a friend who was a UBC student with a bright future as a lawyer, such an accident occurred. She left the curb and in one of those rare moments of fate she missed her pedal and rolled off her bike. I was about to laugh when she hit her head on the curb with that horrible sound like a watermelon fracturing.

Before this she was a part of an antihelmet lobby and used to tease me as being a legalist for I would insist on my patrol members wearing a helmet even though the law was just being proposed. I wish that she was still able to argue her point but after that accident she was in a vegetative state until she died a few years later from complications from that accident.

Helmets make a big difference when you land on your head. If you ride long enough it will probably happen to you.

Modern helmets don’t heat up, fit well and if you think you look bad with helmet hair, try brain damage on for size.

Those trying to change the law to allow cycling without helmets usually have a vested interest besides their vanity and the fear of helmet hair. The latest controversy is over the new biking system being considered for Vancouver. These take-abike-and-ride systems are not issue-free but when politicians want something, the tendency is to highlight what they want to promote and hide want they don’t want discussed, like bike theft, damaged bikes and hurting bike rental companies.

I hope that the helmet-law argument is outed for what it really is – a safety compromised for the sake of a pet project”

Tom Littlewood, New Westminster

http://www.theprovince.com/travel/Helmet+hair+doesn+suit+brain+damage+size/6901014/story.html

Local Company has a Helmet Strategy for Vancouver:

http://publicbikeshare.com/printable-brochure/helmetstation/

Apr 19 2012

SandVault One of Fifteen Entrepreneurial Ventures in Sustainable Transportation Contenders – Vote for Bike Share!

SandVault is one of 15 international contenders for the entrepreneurial ventures in sustainable transportation – the MobiPrize People’s Choice award!!

Created by the University of Michigan SMART initiative with the generous support of the Rockefeller Foundation, MobiPrize recognizes enterprises that demonstrate innovative and replicable solutions to local and global transportation challenges.

SandVault qualifies because we are “Flexible by design”,designs are built to the clients specifications.

Information on what SandVault does here:

http://www.mobiprize.com/2012/04/16/sandvault-group-global-solutions-corp/

Please vote for SandVault before May 1st here:

http://www.mobiprize.com/voting/

Apr 12 2012

Mandatory Helmet Law and Public Bike Share

This is a great interview discussing the mandatory helmet law in Vancouver and public bike share – it is worth the listen:

http://soundcloud.com/eatoutsidethebox/tape-talk-brocki-helmets-cbc?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_

medium=twitter&utm_content=http://soundcloud.com/eatoutsidethebox/tape-talk-brocki-helmets-cbc

Mar 22 2012

Oklahoma City Picks SandVault for Bike Share Solution!

Sustainability: Is Affordable, operates fairly and efficiently, offers a choice of transport mode, and supports a competitive economy, as well as balanced regional development.

SPOKIES – The new Public Bike Share solution for the City of Oklahoma City will launch in the spring of 2012!

With the changing dynamic of Public Bike Share – SPOKIES will use 100 bicycles already purchased for their public bike share solution. Oklahoma City is the only City in North America to use bicycles previously purchased and modified for a public bike share.

Oklahoma City (OKC) will be using the “Deco Bike” (www.decobike.com) philosophy for a completely sustainable public bike share solution. By using bikes already purchased, and by hiring a local company “Downtown OKC” to market, and operate the system, it will be Built by locals for locals.

OKC has partnered with SandVault Group to supply the technology for the public bike share pilot. “We partnered with SandVault (www.sandvault.com) because when we expand the system to hit critical mass we hope to build the rest of the system locally using local manufacturers as well as marketing and operating the system locally.

The fee structure has been approved and has been designed specifically for the OKC market.

Downtown OKC will create an image that fit into the local environment that will be marketable to locals and local businesses making bike sharing a sustainable, alternate mode of transportation in the downtown area.

Mar 20 2012

Deco Bike – The ONLY Experienced Operator in North America Making Public Bike Share Truly Sustainable!

Sustainability: Is Affordable, operates fairly and efficiently, offers a choice of transport mode, and supports a competitive economy, as well as balanced regional development.

Deco Bike has changed the dynamic of Public Bike Share! They are the only large scale Public Bike Share operator to implement a completely sustainable solution. “Every day each DECOBIKE is used on average 5 to 6 times by residents, tourists, and the Beautiful People who flock to Miami Beach, Florida. DECOBIKE is the first privately funded city-wide bike-sharing system in North America. It has completed its first year by logging close to 720,000 rides, with 100,000 in the last 30 days.” – Russell Meddin bike-sharing blog

It is much more than the fact that the program is popular, or that the Public Bike Share system was completely funded privately, Deco Bike took the concept of sustainability and implemented from scratch.

First they pick a partner/supplier (SandVault) that would help with design but allowed a large portion of the system to be built locally, this does not happen with Bcycle or BiXi. “Built by locals for locals” was the first part of the sustainable business solution.

Second is to have the Public Bike Share system operated by locals – this is the second part of the business solution, and continues as Deco Bike expands throughout North America and beyond.

Third was to develop a fee structure that allowed the system to be financially successful, but affordable in the Miami Beach market.

Fourth was to create an image that fit into the local environment that allowed the system to be marketable to locals and local businesses making bike sharing cool and sexy in Miami Beach – another success. “Starting with 550 bikes, there are now 800 bikes in the system. Soon there will 1,000 bikes rolling through the Miami Beach streets and next to the ocean. In its first year, 4% of the City’s residents have subscribed to the long-term membership option. The program is celebrating its anniversary financially in the black.” –Russell Meddin bike-sharing blog

Fifth was to design and assemble a vandal proof bike specifically for the environment that the Public Bike Share solution would be in, this would help with all the first four steps.

This model has not been duplicated by any other operator in North America, of course not every city is the same as Miami Beach, but the idea of having a truly sustainable Public Bike Share solution starts with the proper ideal – this is why there is only one operator in North America that truly has the experience in operating a sustainable Public Bike Share solution.

Reference: http://bike-sharing.blogspot.ca/

Derrick Moennick – www.publicbikeshare.com

Mar 12 2012

Portland to Launch Public Bike Share System in 2013

“The City of Portland is putting the pieces in place for the new bike sharing system they say is coming in spring 2013. On Friday (without any fanfare at all), they launched PDXBikeShare.com, which gives us our first look at how PBOT is marketing the program and, more importantly, marks the launch of an interactive station locator tool.”

Make sure to take a look at what Portland has learned from Public Bike Share systems in the US!

People bike more after joining bike share, even if they own a bike.

Bike sharing makes getting around more convenient for everyone. Two thirds of Minneapolis bike share members reported biking more after joining even though 77% owned a personal bike.

Big systems work, small systems don’t.

There are hundreds of places in Portland that people want to go to. The more stations you have, the more likely it is that a bike sharing station is near your destination. Too few stations and the system isn’t a practical choice. DC’s first system had only 10 stations and very little use. DC metro’s new system has 140 stations and had 1 million trips in its first year.

Bike sharing works best in dense places.

Bike share is designed for short trips under three miles and 30 minutes. Cities get the most bang for the buck by locating stations at popular origins and destinations, such as workplaces, schools, and shopping districts. As the system grows, additional areas can be added.

Bike share stations need to be close together.

Whether you’re parking your car or bike or getting off transit, you want to be close to your final destination. If your bike share station is full, nearby stations provide a convenient back-up option to return a bike.

Theft and vandalism aren’t major concerns.

Before bike sharing came to the North America, a lot of people worried that the bikes would end up vandalized, stolen or at the bottom of the river. That hasn’t happened.

Today’s bike sharing systems are built to withstand urban conditions – including people with ill intentions. Users must use a credit or debit cards to check out a bike, which creates user accountability. Minneapolis had one bike stolen in 2011. DC/Arlington’s Capital Bike Share theft rate is less than 1%.

US Bike Share Cities

Bike share systems are currently operating in 16 US cities and 14 cities are in the planning stages.

City	Bikes	Roll out	Manufacturer	Operator
Arlington	250	2011	Bixi	Alta Bicycle Share
Austin	300-500	2013
Baltimore	300	fall 2012	Bcycle
Boston	610	2011	Bixi	Alta Bicycle Share
Boulder	200	2011	Bcycle	Boulder Bike Sharing
Broward County, FL	200	2011	Bcycle
Chattanooga	300	spring 2012	Bixi	Alta Bicycle Share
Chicago (current)	100	2010	Bcycle	Bike and Roll
Chicago (future)	3000	2012	Not selected
DC/Arlington	1200	2008/2010	Bixi	Alta Bicycle Share
Denver	500	2009	Bcycle	Denver Bike Sharing
Des Moines	18	2010	Bcycle	Des Moines Bicycle Collective
Fullerton	150	2013?	Not selected
Houston	18	2012 (not open)	Bcycle
Kailua (Oahu, Hawaii)	12	2011	Bcycle	Hawaii Bcycle
Kansas City	200	2012 (not open)	Not selected
Louisville	10	2011	Bcycle
Long Beach, CA	160	2012-3	Not selected
Long Beach, NY	400	2012 (not open)	SandVault & DecoBikes	DecoBikes
Los Angeles	~200	2012-3	Not selected
Madison	350	2011	Bcycle	Bcycle
Miami Beach	900	2011	Sandvault & DecoBikes	DecoBikes
Minneapolis	600	2009	Bixi	Nice Ride
New York City	10,000	2012 (not open)	Bixi	Alta Bike Share
Oklahoma City	100	2012	SandVault	OKC
Portland	Not determined	2013	Not selected
San Antonio	140	2011	Bcycle	San Antonio Bcycle
San Francisco	500	summer 2012	Not selected
Sacramento	12	2011 pilot (closed)	Midtown Bike Share	Sac. Midtown Bus Association…
Santa Monica	250	2016	Not selected
Tulsa	50	2007	Sandvault	St Francis Health Systems

16 operating, 14 in planning stages

http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=57983&a=387784

http://bikeportland.org/2012/03/12/pbot-unveils-new-bike-share-website-with-station-locator-tool-68660

Feb 13 2012

Great Article From Experienced Bike Share Down Under – Is Vancouver Bike Share Doomed?

Sanitary On Demand Helmet Solution

It’s not surprising Vancouver is dragging its feet on implementing the city’s promised bikeshare scheme – it’s one of the few major cities in the world with a law mandating the wearing of helmets by adults. There seems to be good reason for Vancouver to be nervous: the available evidence indicates bikeshare has failed in the only three cities its been tried in where helmets are compulsory i.e. Auckland, Brisbane and Melbourne.

These failures prompted a vigorous campaign in Australia and New Zealand for the repeal of mandatory helmet laws. The aim of advocates extends well beyond the welfare of Australasia’s ailing bikeshare schemes – most want the wearing of helmets to be made a matter of individual choice for all adult cyclists.

New figures released this week show usage of Melbourne Bike Share’s (MBS) blue Bixis reached a record high in January. Still, the performance is poor. On average, each Bixi only gets hired once per day. No data on typical hire times was made available but the pattern in other countries suggests each Bixi is used for less than 30 minutes per dayon average.

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2012/02/12/is-the-helmet-law-why-bikeshare-is-failing-in-australian-cities/

Feb 7 2012

Bcycle Bike Share – an extension of freewheelin

It is nice to see that Bcycle has advanced since the first bike share solution made for Humana with Trek bikes in 2007, by QI Systems , the same bike share team that now runs The SandVault Group.

Jan 5 2012

Public Bike Share on USA Today!

Public Bike Share

Public Bike Share Stations to Quadruple in 2012!!

To be featured in the travel section of USA Today, is a very welcomed surprise.

The number of public bike share stations deployed in 2012 will quadruple, and this is a modest estimate. With the current number of stations being roughly 560, there will be at least 2500 stations in use going into 2013.

Key factors will be the deployment of public bike share solutions in the following cities: Miami, New York City and Chicago. It seems as though almost every City in North America is investigating the idea of public bike share.

There will be additional options to the public. With integrated safety options like on demand helmets at stations, electric bikes and better facilities (i.e. www.bartbikestation.com) we will see public bike share help increase the use of bicycling as an extension of public transit all over North America.

We will also see the current public bike share solutions expand. The positive impact of bicycling rather than driving will be realized by all. We will also see the use of electric bicycles; many people have not had the experience of this new found joy.

The concept of the lock on the bike – or smart bike system, will be deployed in some cities without stations. Will this cost effective bike share solution work? We think that the current systems will not be as successful as the 3^rd and 4^th generation public bike share solutions, however new technologies will be developed in the next few years that will allow this type of system to gain momentum.

Overall 2012 will be a great year for public bike share in North America!

http://travel.usatoday.com/alliance/destinations/nileguidance/post/2011/12/Public-Bike-Share-is-Now-Sharing-Helmets-Too/587318/1

Dec 30 2011

American Public Bike Share Systems Double in 2011!

Public Bike Share Systems Double in the US!

Nationwide, the total number of cities with bike sharing expanded from 8 to 18, and the total number of bikesharing stations more than doubled, from 251 to 559.

Washington/Arlington, DC/VA: 140 stations – Bixi
Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN: 115 stations – Bixi
Miami Beach, FL: 70 stations – SandVault
Boston, MA: 61 stations – Bixi
Denver, CO: 52 stations* – Bcycle
Madison, WI: 27 stations – Bcycle
Broward County, FL: 20 stations – Bcycle
San Antonio, TX: 20 stations – Bcycle
Boulder, CO: 15 stations* – Bcycle
Washington State University – Pullman, WA: 8 stations – Bixi
Chicago, IL: 7 stations – Bcycle
Omaha, NE: 5 stations – Bcycle
University of California – Irvine: 4 stations – Zot Wheels
Des Moines, IA: 4 stations – Bcycle
Tulsa, OK: 4 stations – SandVault
Louisville, KY: 3 stations – Bcycle
Kailua, HI: 2 stations – Bcycle
Spartanburg, SC: 2 stations – Bcycle

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13187/american-bike-sharing-systems-more-than-doubled-in-2011/

Dec 15 2011

SandVault’s Answer to Vancouver Bike Share Woes

SandVault is the most flexible bike share solution on the market today! SandVault has worked with Cities, operators, sponsors, health agencies to produce a flexible Public Bike Share solution since 2005 and have adapted the latest technologies to support clients.

http://www.travelsmart.ca/en/Life-and-Home/Bike-More/Local-Company-May-Have-Answer-to-Vancouver-Bike-Share-Woes.aspx

Dec 14 2011

Alta Design + Bixi Bike Share : “Conflict of interest, stand up and take a bow.”

Alta Design has recently completed a feasibility study for the City of Calgary, you can read it here: http://publicbikeshare.com/community/feasibility-studies/ You have to decide for yourself if you will participate in this Global trend or not. After reading the study , I was impressed with it. The study is presented well, its information is accurate and thorough – exactly what the study should be!

The Calgary Sun paints a picture of Bikesharing that maybe a little tainted. The Calgary Herald, brings the facts to light… you decide which is more accurate!

Many bike share systems are hitting the Cities in North America. Most are successful if you consider the good that they bring.

The Miami Beach bike share solution, designed by Sandvault.com is the only bike share system that was paid for by a private company and shares the revenue stream with it’s City – New York may be the second!!

http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/12/12/city-shelled-out-thousands-for-bike-share-plan-from-vendor#disqus_thread

http://www.suntimes.com/11291598-417/oregon-company-to-oversee-citys-massive-bike-sharing-program.html

http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2011/12/14/questions-about-bike-share-proposal-in-calgary/

Dec 13 2011

Calgary Studies Bike Share!

http://publicbikeshare.com/community/feasibility-studies/

Dec 7 2011

Bixi Bike Share – in the news – again!

Bixi losing millions

By ANDREW MCINTOSH QMI AGENCY

Posted 20 hours ago

MONTREAL — The company operating the popular Bixi bike-sharing service in Toronto and Montreal is losing millions of dollars. Its board members also have been steering to the exits, even as they deny there is a rift between Bixi and Montreal and Quebec City officials.

Bixi’s operating company, la Societe de Velo en Libre-Service, has lost five key members from its fledgling board of directors since news of its financial troubles emerged this spring.

All of them quit before Bixi boss Roger Plamandon publicly announced his own impending resignation as president sometime in 2012.

The departures — without any public announcement — have occurred since late April, according to documents filed with the province’s corporate registry .

The exodus began just before Montreal city council approved a controversial $108-million Bixi bailout package in May.

One director left before the financial rescue. Three more quit not long after the bailout. The fifth director left in September.

Bixi spokesman Michel Philibert confirmed the directors’ departures, but denied they were forced out by politicians to improve oversight, management and financial stablility of Bixi operations.

“People left for personal reasons, others for professional reasons,” Philibert said.

Bixi board members are unpaid volunteers, he added.

Last out was Steven Bradley, a Home Depot manager who lives in suburban L’Assomption, Que. Bradley quit Sept. 30. Bradley said there were several small changes to how the board works since spring.

Nov 29 2011

SandVault Launches: On Demand Helmet Station for Bike Share

Sanitary On Demand Helmet Solution

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SandVault announces HelmetStation

The first integrated Helmet dispensing system for public bike share

In response to growing demand for helmets as a choice in public bike share (PBS) systems,. SandVault Group Global Solutions today announced the launch of HelmetStation, the industry’s first fully integrated helmet dispensing system.

In Cycling, as with other industries, there are multiple customer segments. The same holds true for PBS. Bicycle helmets are used in every city in the world. In every market the adoption rate varies, but where helmets are optional cities generally see 4% to 30% usage rates. For a PBS system, this can represent a significant market opportunity that can be lost if helmets are not provided. Where a mandatory helmet law for all ages is in place, providing helmets is a must. As PBS systems are all about spontaneous low cost short trips, the availability of helmets must support that model.

HelmetStation, built on SandVault’s highly successful CycleStation, is the first PBS system that enables the seamless delivery of helmets at the PBS station. Key features include: at station helmet dispensing and return, integrated into the payment kiosk; one stop, one payment for customers; customizable user interface for helmet law/choice; options for helmet rental or sale; minimum moving parts for maximum reliability, and maximum simplicity on stocking and retrieval. Simply put, these features and workflow have been specifically designed to support the use of a PBS – spontaneous, efficient, and low cost.

“HelmetStation continues our push to provide solutions tailored to specific market needs” said Rick Murray, President of Sandvault. “SandVault is proud to launch a system that will allow systems that want or need to provide helmets to do so with an optimized user-centric approach, and at a reasonable cost”

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About Sandvault Group:

Based in Richmond BC, Sandvault Group is the most experienced bike share system provider in the North America and has been innovating and implementing public bike share systems since 2005. Sandvault’s flagship product, Cyclestation, has been implemented in several locations, most recently a 1,000 bike system in Miami Beach. For more information, please go to: http://sandvault.com/.

For more information, please contact:

Derrick Moennick, Sandvault Group

derrick@sandvault.com

604-278 9500

For a printable brochure: http://publicbikeshare.com/printable-brochure/helmetstation/

Nov 28 2011

Santa Monica Bike Plan – Includes Bike Share

Fehr and Peers design Santa Monica’s Bike Action Plan

http://publicbikeshare.com/community/

http://www01.smgov.net/planning/whats-new/bike%20action%20plan/102611_BAP_web.pdf

Nov 18 2011

Bike Sharing Helmet Law – The Only Answer: www.bikeshare.ca

http://publicbikeshare.com/partners/bikeshare-bc/

Nov 16 2011

Get on The Bike Share – Philadelphia!

Nov 14 2011

BiXI Bike Sharing

Bixi losing millions

http://www.lfpress.com/money/2011/12/05/19071216.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed - Dec. 5th, 2011

President of the bike-sharing company Bixi has resigned because he can no longer guarantee that taxpayers won’t be on the hook for the company’s deficits.

In Plamondon’s tenure, Bixi racked up a $108 million budget shortfall in Montreal — $37 million for operations and $71 million to expand its business internationally.

The resignation comes just a few months after an optimistic Plamondon painted a rosy picture of BIXI’s future in front of city councillors, begging them for the handout. Without the prospect of a welfare payment courtesy of Montreal taxpayers, the Société de vélo en libre-service’s future now looks quite bleak.

But Plamondon and BIXI management have been walking on thin ice with municipal governments in the US– they weren’t paying attention and didn’t foresee the Obama administration’s Buy American Act interfering with their dealings. As a result, future expansion may be in jeopardy and BIXI manufacturing is being partially outsourced to companies south of the border.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Mixed+results+after+third+season/5734745/story.html - Nov. 20th, 2011

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2011/06/20/bixi-report-mtl.html - June 20th, 2011

http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/1046 - Nov. 13th, 2011

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1086082 - Nov. 14th, 2011

Nov 7 2011

Bike Sharing a Fad? – Nope!

I was recently asked if bike sharing is a fad. The fact that bike sharing programs are expanding at a very quick pace throughout North America seemed to worry my friend.

She commented on the fact that although the bike share project was somewhat smaller in monetary value, than the other dozen or so projects that she was working on, the bike share project was getting the most attention.

My answer at the time was that bike sharing, has been around since the 60’s: The earliest well-known community bicycle program was started in the 1960s by Luud Schimmelpenninck in association with the radical group Provo in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.^[8] This so-called White Bicycle Plan provided free bicycles that were supposed to be used for one trip and then left for someone else. Within a month, most of the bikes had been stolen and the rest were found in nearby canals.^[9] The program is still active in some parts of the Netherlands (the Hoge Veluwe National Park; bikes have to stay inside the park). It originally existed as one in a series of White Plans proposed in the street magazine produced by the anarchist group PROVO.

The reasons Bike sharing just seems to be a good idea are simply:

Improve the environment by reducing the impact on residents of pollution and noise, limiting greenhouse gases, and improving the quality of public spaces.

Reduce congestion by shifting short trips (the majority of trips in cities) out of cars. This will also make cities more accessible for public transport, walking, essential car travel, emergency services, and deliveries.

Save lives by creating safer conditions for bicyclists and as a direct consequence improve the safety of all other road users. Research shows that increasing the number of bicyclists on the street improves bicycle safety.

Increase opportunities for residents of all ages to participate socially and economically in the community, regardless income or ability. Greater choice of travel modes also increases independence, especially among seniors and children.

Boost the economy by creating a community that is an attractive destination for new residents, tourists and businesses.

Enhance recreational opportunities, especially for children, and further contribute to the quality of life in the community.

Save city funds by increasing the efficient use of public space, reducing the need for costly new road infrastructure, preventing crashes, improving the health of the community, and increasing the use of public transport.

Enhance public safety and security by increasing the number of “eyes on the street” and providing more options for movement in the event of emergencies, natural disasters, and major public events.

Improve the health and well-being of the population by promoting routine physical activity.

Not a bad set of reasons. With the technology available today it is possible to make the rider accountable for the bicycle.

With New York City, Chicago, Portland and the City of Miami adding bike share solutions as an extension of public transit, it reassured me that bike share is indeed expanding throughout North America at a very quick rate. But is it a fad? Today I read that Maryland’s Governor Martin O’Malley will be investing a million dollars into the expansion of the Capital Bike share program and that it will expand into Maryland. Mexico City’s Ecobici bike share announced plans for expansions next year, with 180 new stations and roughly 3,000 new bicycles.We are witnessing a great event as public bike share systems are not only doing well, but are expanding!

We see large corporations like Barclays Bank, New Balance and Coca Cola involved with sponsorship of all areas of bike share.

My final answer: With technology advancements in the past few years to increase the accountability of the user, bike share systems have and will continue to expand throughout North America and the rest of the world as it has in Europe. It just makes sense!

Derrick Moennick – publicbikeshare.com

References:

Oct 28 2011

Deco Bike Share Expanding to: Long Beach New York, Virginia Beach and a Couple of Other Areas!

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/10/27/miami-beachs-decobike-cruising-into-other-cities/

Oct 26 2011

moENNICK + moBILITY ;)

It’s one thing to create a bike or car sharing system, but how do you get people to actually use them? One answer, according to Roman Gebhard, is to reward them. Gebhard, head of the Lunar Europe design agency, in Munich, has helped develop the “Mo System”–the world’s first incentivization scheme for green transport.

Rather than city folk paying separately for car, bike, and public transit, with the Mo System they pay a single fee, and then get rewards, called Mo Miles, when they take more sustainable options. So, for example, users who cycle get miles they can use for subway or bus trips, or for car shares.

“If the weather is good, you use your smartphone to locate the nearest bike spot. If it is not good, you go on another means of transportation, such as car sharing. The more you use public transportation, the more miles you earn, which you can then deduct from the yearly cost,” says Gebhard, who is working with the group Greencity and the University of Wuppertal.

The Mo System has yet to be approved by Munich authorities, and has yet to persuade car and bike schemes to take part. But Gebhard says the idea would be for Mo members to pay about 350 euros ($483)–the same as an annual public transport pass–and get more options. If users are not part of official bike share schemes, they can install a device on their bikes to measure how far they go.

“What we found out from our research is that even though people like to use bikes and sustainable transport, their needs are very different depending on what they have to do, or what the weather is like. That’s the biggest obstacle for people to go on one system. You have to offer them different options. By combining the systems, you hopefully get people to use bikes and public transport more often,” Gebhard says.

The biggest obstacle to rolling out Mo is to persuade the operators to collaborate, and making sure they are not hurt financially. But Gebhard is confident Deutsche Bahn, the German railway company that already runs Munich’s bike sharing scheme, wants to see Mo get off the ground.

“Their problem at the moment is that the public transport system is filled out. In rush hour, they don’t want additional customers. So they are hoping to get some people to hop on to bikes,” he says. Here’s to Mo-mentum.

Oct 20 2011

NYC – 72% in Favour of Bike Share!

http://transportationnation.org/2011/10/20/poll-new-yorkers-support-bike-share-72-to-23/

Jun 28 2011

Spinway partners with Sandvault for Australian Bike Share systems!

Spinway has selected Sandvault Group Global Solutions as their partner for rolling out a public bike share systems for the public transportation and tourism markets across Australia.

Public Bike Shares are the fastest growing form of urban transportation. Since the first systems were launched in 2005, more than 270 cities globally have adopted “PBS” systems.

“We selected Sandvault as our bike share technology partner based on their ability to meet and surpass our needs” said Matthew Rennie, Spinway’s CEO “Sandvaults experience, flexibility, and option to integrate a helmet solution put them at the top of our list.”

Spinway will be implementing the latest version of Sandvault’s Cyclestation system, the industry’s leading platform for public bike share. “We’re thrilled to welcome Spinway into our partner community” said Rick Murray, President of Sandvault. “Having them select us based on our proven track record and recent innovations validate our on-going customer and product research and development.”

The first shipment of CycleStation will occur in 2011 with future expansion already planned.

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About Spinway Pty Ltd:

Spinway is Australia’s first high tech bike sharing company changing the way people travel around town. Spinway’s competitive advantage is that it provides a fully automatic helmet solution for Australia’s compulsory helmet laws. For more information, please go to: http://www.spinway.com.au

For more information, please contact

Matthew Rennie, Spinway Pty Ltd

matthew@spinway.com.au

+61 414 090 415

About Sandvault Group Global Solutions:

Based in Richmond BC, Sandvault Group is the most experienced bike share system provider in the world and has been innovating and implementing public bike share systems since 2005. Sandvault’s flagship product, Cyclestation, has been implemented in several locations, most recently a 1,000 bike system in Miami Beach. For more information, please go to: http://sandvault.com/.

For more information, please contact:

Derrick Moennick, Sandvault Group

derrick@sandvault.com

604-278 9500

Apr 16 2013

5000 Members in 30 Hours – System not Even Installed

5000 Members in 30 Hours – System not Even Installed – But

its Coming!!

Public Bike Share is very popular! NYC – Citi Bike hits 5000 founding members in 30 hours – the system scheduled to launch next month will be off to a flying start! With 10,000 bikes and 600 stations it is anticipated to be the largest Bike Share in North America. The cool thing is that it will expand from there!!

Miami Beach and Washington DC are having record breaking months!

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20130416/NEWS/130419892