May 2 2012

BiXi Delays Bike Share Deployment

Ok friends and followers of the public bike share blog, what is happening to the core of the BiXi system?

We now see a delay in Chattanooga, I think that BiXi at one time has had a great successful program, but when you change the core technology – well you run into delays!

With 10,000 bike system for New York and 3000 bike system for Chicago pending what does this mean for the rest of the public bike share solutions?

“Jeremy Pomp, general manager of Bike Chattanooga, told The Gazette it’s unclear  when the system will launch.”
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Bixi+delays+Tennessee+launch/6550148/story.html

Gabe Klein’s intern Jeremy Pomp who was working on the Chicago Bike share system now at (and before) Alta:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/6746.html

Bixi has to change its core technology as they are being sued by 8D technologies the originators of the technology.

http://publicbikeshare.com/2012/04/30/8d-technologies-sues-bixi-bike-share-for-26-million/

Calgary states that there is a conflict of interest:

http://publicbikeshare.com/2011/12/14/alta-design-bixi-bike-share-conflict-of-interest-stand-up-and-take-a-bow/

Please comment if any of this information is incorrect so that it may be changed.

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

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.

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 29 2011

SandVault Launches: On Demand Helmet Station for Bike Share

Sanitary On Demand Helmet Solution

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”

-30-

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/

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.

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 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 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.

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

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

 

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 3rd and 4th 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

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

Apr 16 2012

Bike Nation to Buy L.A. and Serco to Buy Bixi

Public Bike Share is exploding in North America. Here are two articles that are worth taking a look at:

http://bikinginla.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/i-miss-ciclavia-but-it-doesnt-miss-me-l-a-gets-a-new-bike-share-program-courtesy-of-aeg/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/04/13/montreal-bixi-sale.html

Apr 10 2012

Public Bike Share – Predicting the Future

Predicting the future has never been a strong suit for me, although with my past experience in IP PBX technology and 25 years of work experience in special effects, sales and marketing, I have seen a huge advancement in computer technology specifically relating to telecommunications, film and the transportation industries.

If you would have asked me what I thought about sharing cars, and bikes five years ago at the local race track while instructing, I would have said “What!” But with computer advancement we can see huge cities like New York take on a very different feel to them with mass access to the flow of real-time information, communications and transportation.

I would like you to take a look at these two links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOTllP2P5gs

This company will implement the core communications for the system, combine the above link  with the below:

http://vimeo.com/lunareurope/httpwwwmo-bilitycom and all of a sudden you see a glimmer of the future where sharing bikes, electric bikes, and cars becomes not only a reality, but a very cost-effective and healthy way of living.

Don’t get me wrong I love the automobile, and there will always be a place in my heart and my wallet for travelling around by car, but why not take advantage of the technology and infrastructure available today?