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!
“Forget lugging a helmet around in case you fancy an impromptu ride when, or if, Vancouver gets a bike share system.
The city – set to decide later this spring whether to launch a bike share system with preferred vendor Portland-based Alta Bicycle Share – paid $50,000 to Richmond-based SandVault Group Global Solutions Corp. to develop a prototype of a bike helmet distribution machine.
In just 41 days after the city awarded SandVault the contract in November, it built a noggin-protecting prototype that it showed off to Metro on Thursday.
SandVault’s helmet dispensing machine. (Metro/Jennifer Gauthier)
Using the solar powered machine was as easy as swiping a card, selecting a size and style on a keypad and removing a helmet from a dispenser that’s integrated with a bike system.
“If you want to wear a helmet, there’s a helmet right there,” business development manager Derrick Moennick said. “It should be as easy as possible.”
The helmets are equipped with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags so when users drop them off they are “quarantined” and not rented out until they are cleaned and checked for safety. Maintenance crews would sanitize the helmets as part of the system’s operating cost, which the city has previously pegged at about $1.9 million annually.
In Melbourne, the city’s helmet law led to lukewarm adoption of its bike share system, as helmets there must be purchased at retail locations or from vending machines. Alta told Metro in June it was working on an integrated system to avoid the mistakes made in Australia.
While Vancouver awarded the prototype contract to SandVault, it is still exploring various options and suppliers for helmet distribution, according to director of transportation Jerry Dobrovolny.
SandVault, which operates the world’s only non-subsidized bike share at tourist hotspot Miami Beach, applied to operate Vancouver’s bike share system but lost to Alta.
The company also built systems in Long Beach, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Golden, B.C. and will soon launch one in Sao Paulo. Its technology is still operational after Hurricane Sandy slammed into the N.Y. operations.
“It’s important for government to support local industries that employ people and produce exports,” company owner Richard Murray said.” – Metronews.ca
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
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.
Great Information on Public Bike Share Systems in the United States (Sept 2012):
http://publicbikeshare.com/community/
“After almost a 3-month delay from its April 25, 2012 start date, Chattanooga Bicycle Transit
System began rolling on the evening of July 23rd. The green and blue
bicycles are finally available at the docking stations for subscribers
and occasional users after a frustrating period of software glitches.
Subscribers who signed up for the original start date got access keys today. The
special $60 annual subscription rate is once again available for sale. This
discount is now extended through September 3. The regular subscriptions will be
$75 for the year and $6 for a day pass. These are the only options. The first 60
minutes of each trip is at no extra charge and each additional 30 minutes is
$5.” Russell Meddin
http://bike-sharing.blogspot.ca/2012/07/the-bike-sharing-world-last-week-of.html
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
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:
