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!
Nicole Freedman the “Bike Czar” in Boston promotes public bike share and how it is transforming the City of Boston.
http://inhabitat.com/video-boston-bike-czar-nicole-freedman-talks-bike-share-urban-cycling/
“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
This is a great article on the Helmet law and the experience that Australian cities have had.
This is worth the read!
On a quick note, Vancouver has been going through multiple demonstrations to define its integrated helmet strategy – new post to follow!
“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.”
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
Are you interested in receiving our public bike share newsletter, or information on public bike share equipment?
If so, please send me a quick e-mail: derrick@sandvault.com
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/
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
