The State of Public Bike Share in North America

Phoenix

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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SandVault System Works After Flooding!

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

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!

metro article

Integrated Helmet Dispenser with Public Bike Share!

metro article

“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.

Web_HelmetDetail_JG

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

http://metronews.ca/news/vancouver/561426/sneak-peek-at-vancouver-bike-shares-helmet-vending-machine-prototype/

Is the law on helmets why bikeshare is failing?

New York Demonstration

This is a great article on the Helmet law and the experience that Australian cities have had.

This is worth the read!

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

On a quick note, Vancouver has been going through multiple demonstrations to define its integrated helmet strategy – new post to follow!

Frequently asked Questions and Answers concerning Bike Sharing

FTA

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

Bike Share Questions pg1Bike Share Questions, pg3Bike Share Questions pg2

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

Public Bike Share Business Models

This is a great study done for the City of Calgary by Grant Thornton!

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

It takes information from many other great studies listed on this page and makes a great comparision for the City of Calgary.

The sponsorship comparisons and the revenue charts are also of interest for any City or Company looking at expanding public bike share as an extension of public transit.

We Love Bicycling! Bike Share Gets People To Remember!

 

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

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!

Image

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

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