Bicycling
Even bike owners will benefit from joining Capital Bikeshare
Next Monday, I will take to the roads on DC on a brand new bike that is not mine. Despite owning my own bike, I decided to invest in a Capital Bikeshare membership. Other DC bike owners should, too.
Photo by Arlington County on Flickr.
The new Capital Bikeshare program kicks off next week and will offer 1,000 bikes at over 100 stations spread across the District and Arlington's Crystal City neighborhood. At ten times the size of Smart Bike DC, Capital Bikeshare is poised to replicate the success of its predecessor on a much larger scale.
With an increase in both coverage and density of bike sharing stations, the utility of Capital Bikeshare will be astronomically higher than SmartBike ever was. While SmartBike stations were only present in the busiest of areas in central DC, CaBi will include stations on both sides of the Potomac, at most District Metro stations and in many neighborhoods unserved by Metrorail.
"That's great," you say, "but I already have a bike. Why should I spend more money for bike sharing when I spent a bunch of green on my own bike?"
It's a good question, and one I struggled with myself. Around the time that Capital Bikeshare released details on their membership costs, I had literally just bought a new bike, which, after all of the various accessories necessary to make it city-roadworthy and commute-ready, ran me $500.
I had been excited about the new, expanded bike share system for a while and was sure I would join, but when the time came to shell out the money, I hesitated. An annual membership costs $75, currently reduced to $50 for the first 2000 members (DDOT was nearing 1000 on Tuesday), or a monthly membership runs $25. "These things don't even have rear racks for pannier," I thought, "why bother spending more money?" Then I started to reconsider.
Capital Bikeshare is not intended to replace long bike trips, particular not those that are made on a regular basis. The service is free for members, but only for the first 30 minutes of each rental. That means, it would not be logical for you to use a CaBi bike for your daily 10 mile commute from College Park to Union Station. Where CaBi can come in very handy is to replace short to medium distance trips.
After some thought, I decided to invest in a Capital Bikeshare membership, not despite owning my own bike, but perhaps even because I own my own bike. The argument should ring quite familiar to many of you, given that we make the same argument frequently for why people should take transit, despite the fact that they own a car and have already invested in that sunk cost.
We tell people to take transit over driving for many trips because:
- Reduced wear and tear on the car, reduces maintenance costs and increases the longevity of your car
- You don't need to find and/or pay for parking at either end of your trip
- You won't have to worry about vandalism or theft that may be a concern at some destinations
- You don't have to drive home, or worry about picking your car up later
The same reasons hold true for using Bikeshare over riding your own bike. With Capital Bikeshare:
You save the wear and tear on your bike. DC's streets are not great. There are potholes, manholes, asphalt warping, steel plates, gravel, glass, and myriad other obstacles and debris along your ride, all of which take a toll on your bike, the same as it does on a person's car. By using a CaBi bike, you reduce the wear and tear on your personal bike and save the time and money spent on upkeep and repairs.
Not uncommon in DC (photo by Elly Blue on Flickr.)
That means I have to go around the back of my building, into the loading dock, and use the freight elevator to take my bike to the garage where our bike parking is. This adds anywhere from 5-10 minutes on either end of my trip.
Out in the city, bike parking is a crap shoot. I usually spend several minutes at the end of my trip, finding a bike rack or suitable street sign, fence, parking meter, water pipe, or other immovable object to lock my bike up on. With CaBi, if there is a station near where you headed, you know you will have a place to park (except in the rare case the station is full).
You can stop worrying about theft. If you're headed somewhere less trafficked (or more trafficked as the case may be), you don't have to worry about accessories, components or your whole bike disappearing. Again, I spend several minutes everywhere I go making sure I've secured as many (re)movable parts as possible. On days when I'm running several errands around the city, the time spent locking and unlocking my bike can really add up. And lets face it, no matter how hard you try, something is always still able to be stolen.
You don't have to bike both ways. If starts to rain while your at your destination, no big deal. If you few too many drinks at happy hour, you don't have to worry about whether you secured your bike correctly on that rack on the front of the bus, or wrestle with the just-big-enough-for-you-and-your-bike elevators that may or may not be in service at the closest metro station.
You can actually save money on transit. For anyone who lives and/or works close to a CaBi station or spends any significant time in the central part of the District or Crystal City, there is a strong chance you can actually save yourself money with a CaBi membership.
I live near the Foggy Bottom metro station, on the northwest edge of what you could call "greater downtown" DC. I work in Navy Yard, on the southeast edge of "downtown." In a typical month, I will have anywhere from 3-10 meetings out of the office, usually somewhere in downtown proper. Often times these meetings are at the end of the day and I usually plan to go straight home afterward.
At the end of these meetings I'm usually left with conundrum of how I want to get home. The walk is just a bit too far under all but the best circumstances (weather, temperature, what I'm wearing, what I'm carrying, etc.) and takes a while. It seems both lame and a waste of money to take the metro two or three stops. And, while the bus is cheaper, it's is probably only marginally faster than walking. Still, because of laziness or any of those other mitigating factors, I have ended up on the bus or the metro many times, shelling out anywhere from $1.50 to $2.50, to travel no more than two miles.
These are exactly the types of trips I expect to use CaBi for in the future. At $50 a year, by the time I replace anywhere from 20-34 short trips on bus or Metro with a trip on CaBi, I will have already made my membership cost back. Add to that the savings on chain lube, tube patches, brake pads, replacing stolen accessories, or worse, and I would argue that a Capital Bikeshare membership could actually save most regular cyclists money in the long run.
Helmet use certainly raises a legitimate issue, but not an insurmountable one. Trips originating at my apartment are not a problem. Because there will a station a block or so from my office, I'm planning to keep an extra helmet at work for those short off-site meetings.
Other, more spontaneous trips pose more of a problem if you insist on wearing a helmet at all times. But I tend to agree with David over at Washcycle that a helmet only reduces the risk of injury assuming you're going to be in an accident.
Cautious and defensive cycling will reduce your risk of having an accident so much that the increased risk of a handful of short, helmet-less trips a year will only increase your risk marginally. After all, the CaBi bikes include all of the necessary safety features and at probably 30 pounds and only three gears, you're not going to be able to dash around the city like a bike messenger anyway.
So, after a little thought, and especially considering the inaugural $50 price for an annual members, signing up was definitely a no-brainer for me.
 | Erik Weber has been living car-free in the District since 2009. Hailing from the home of the nation's first Urban Growth Boundary, Erik has been interested in transit since spending summers in Germany as a kid where he rode as many buses, trains and streetcars as he could find. Views expressed here are Erik's alone.    |
Comments
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by A Siegel on Sep 16, 2010 11:36 am
by MLD on Sep 16, 2010 11:42 am
I do wish it more than 30 minutes -- DC is more spread out that people realize -- if I had to draw the line I think 45 minutes might be better.
by charlie on Sep 16, 2010 11:44 am
Look at it this way - a 1 hour trip will set you back 1.50, which is basically an in-city Metro fare.
The term bikesharing does a disservice to what is really a bicycle transit system.
by Alex B. on Sep 16, 2010 11:47 am
I think this is going to be successful only if it is effective at replacing other, less efficient trips. I don't really buy the other arguments. Wear and tear? It's just not that expensive to keep a bike going, and if you have a really, really nice bike that a bent rim could cost you hundreds of dollars to fix, then you clearly ought to invest in a beater for 'round town trips. Same for parking/locking - that's why we have beaters, you don't worry about them being stolen.
So I don't really see the value in using this if you didn't have to take public transit first, since it would only be a good option if there was a station both very near to your home, and very near to your destination. For most people, how often will that be true?
I think there are situations where it could be very useful, like someone who works in Georgetown and currently has to walk a mile or more from Dupont or Foggy Bottom, or take a bus that takes forever. But I really can't see how this would be a better option for "around town" trips that start and finish at home. Beater still better.
by Jamie on Sep 16, 2010 11:55 am
by renegade09 on Sep 16, 2010 11:56 am
by charlie on Sep 16, 2010 11:58 am
Still, for most trips, it's not the cost savings of not using your own bike, as much as the conveniences listed. When you say replacing, less efficient trips, for me, being able to walk two blocks to a CaBi station, pick-up a bike, ride it to another station, walk two blocks to my destination is significantly more efficient for me than all of the hassle I go through with my own bike at my apartment, office or elsewhere. I imagine many DC dwellers have similar experiences. And, a lot of that hassle is true regardless how nice your bike. Beater or not, you still gotta lock it up, fix the brakes, replace the chain/tube/tire/seat/etc.
And yes, how well suited it is for you will depend on where you live, work, and spend a lot of time, but my primary point was, for many whose do those things near CaBi stations, it's probably a money saving proposition. I didn't even get into the general benefits of bikesharing in supplementing the transit greater transit system that Alex B alludes to and you mention with first/last mile trips because I think we've generally covered those enough on GGW.
by Erik W on Sep 16, 2010 12:09 pm
The main thing for me was the fact that I find myself downtown (I work in silver spring) a couple of times a month with two+ meetings in different locations across town. I find it far easier to go to a meeting near chinatown and then hop on a bike to foggy bottom instead of taking the metro.
I think people will quickly see the benefits of CaBi. Imagine how nice it will be for an employee on K street to hop on a bike and go to lunch on 14th and U? Can't really do that now in a reasonable amount of time.
by JTS on Sep 16, 2010 12:10 pm
by Crystal on Sep 16, 2010 12:17 pm
I don't disagree with this at all. I'm just wondering how often this will be the situation. Only a fraction of DC lives within 2 blocks of a bikestation, and then your destination also has to be similarly proximate. So, for people who live near one, it's probably a worthy investment - and certainly the cost is low enough. Is that enough people to achieve a critical mass? I don't know, I'm just wondering. Hopefully it is, and can fuel the installation of more stations.
As for the cost of a beater, well, you can try to do an analysis, but it's a lot more about convenience than cost. If you are making a five or ten minute bike trip, why would you add another five or ten minutes of walking to and from the bike stations at each end? That doesn't add any value, and entirely defeats the main benefit of biking: it's fast and easy.
Likewise, I think it's pretty funny that you would suggest cost is a barrier to owning a beater for someone who presumably already owns a bike that's nice enough that they are worried about theft or wear and tear.
By and large, there are two kinds of people: casual bikers, who own a pretty cheap bike, probably a hybrid or mountain bike that will be just fine on DC streets, and wouldn't worry about this stuff, and then much more serious bikers, who own $1000+ road bikes... and probably have two or three other bikes anyway.
I have never met a serious biker, who likes to race or go on long rides outside the city, who owns just one bike and uses that bike for around town trips.
by Jamie on Sep 16, 2010 12:20 pm
As of yesterday, there were just over 1,000 paying members.
I really, really like the idea of CaBi. However, I also do think that the density of stations needs to be greatly increased in order for the system to be effective. As far as infrastructure goes, Bikeshare is dirt cheap, and we should be pushing for the gradual expansion of the system, even before it launches. Capitol Hill (particularly its eastern reaches) generally has poor access to transit, but only got CaBi stations along H St, E Capitol, and Penna Ave, which are ironically the only 3 corridors in the area adequately served by transit! Even Gallaudet and Trinidad got left out in the cold.
Yards Park and the eastern Anacostia riverfront (with its new ped/cyclist bridge that will provide access to the Potomac Ave Metro Station) both deserve stations.
Shaw seems to be underserved, as do the transit-deprived neighborhoods of Petworth and Bloomingdale. Crystal City seems to still be tweaking their station locations (I don't remember there being a Station at 23rd & Eads, which is a good addition)
Additional stations along the mall would likely be huge moneymakers for the system.
And obviously, the remainder of Arlington.
by andrew on Sep 16, 2010 12:23 pm
I have had many conversations with people who would love to use a bike to get everywhere, but don't because they don't want the hassle of having to keep the bike in shape to ride. I also have a few friends who gave up bikes entirely after their beaters got stolen. Too much of a hassle to replace, they said. Who am I to suggest otherwise?
CaBi eliminates all of those problems. You never have to fix it, and you don't need to worry about it getting jacked.
Furthermore, you are right that it may be inconvenient to add five or ten minutes round trip to your commute to grab one of these guys. But it may be worth it to you if there is not adequate parking at your office and you find yourself searching for parking all the time. Or if you have a beater that scuffs up your pant leg. the nice thing about bike share is that it adds a layer of predictability to cycling that is currently enjoyed only by riders with a good understanding of maintenance and with ample access to parking.
by JTS on Sep 16, 2010 12:29 pm
And, keep in mind, MWCOG has submitted a TIGER II application to double the number of stations and bikes, adding places like Rosslyn-Ballston, Silver Spring, Bethesda, College Park, and many more stations around the District. Cross your fingers!
by Erik W on Sep 16, 2010 12:31 pm
I suppose, though, much like a health club, they could actually HOPE people don't use it too much... but of course if a ton of people sign up and don't really ever use it, they won't renew the next year.
by Jamie on Sep 16, 2010 12:38 pm
by Reid on Sep 16, 2010 12:40 pm
This is another potential pitfall; I know in Paris and Barcelona there was a real problem with refreshing bikes at stations. Certain stations became TOO popular (in Barcelona, strangely, it was one on tops of hills) and ran out of bikes. Too many commuters means you have to start trucking the bikes around more frequently.
Who exactly will run Capital Bikeshare?
by charlie on Sep 16, 2010 12:45 pm
The transit value of a well-designed system like Bixi is hard to overstate, especially for multi-segment trips. You don't have to think about when the next bus or train is coming, or how many transfers a trip will require. You don't have to worry about locks and lights for your bike, and you don't need to keep a beater with fenders and a chain guard for riding in bad weather. I probably won't be able to use CaBi much because I live in Alexandria and don't find myself in DC or Crystal City all that often, but I think the system is worth supporting and I hope my membership encourages me to get out more in DC.
by jimble on Sep 16, 2010 12:46 pm
These guys.
It also helps that the Bixi system is becoming somewhat standardized around the world, which should hopefully drive the cost of parts and maintenance down.
by andrew on Sep 16, 2010 12:51 pm
I plan to pick up a bike outside Big Bear and ride it in and drop it off in dupont/logan and start my night. And if I get drunk, I'll just cab and not worry about leaving a bike behind.
That's my intended use and well worth $50/year.
by JohnDC on Sep 16, 2010 1:08 pm
Also, why 30 minutes for the "free" trips? Why not an hour? I feel that if I were to sign up, I would be rushing to get in under 30 minutes to avoid the $1.50. One hour would favor not being rushed.
Finally, what happens if I get to my destination and the rack is full? I would feel cheated if I got there under 30 minutes and then had to seek out another rack somewhere, pushing me into the "pay" territory.
This is a good idea. I just haven't been convinced yet. We need them in more areas, have an hour to use them as part of the cost of membership, and have a solution for a full rack. Including helmets wouldn't hurt either. The argument about not needing helmets is bogus, as many accidents are the bike versus car without fault to the bicyclist. I would never ride a bicycle without a helmet just as I would never ride in a car without a seatbelt.
by Adam on Sep 16, 2010 1:09 pm
by Kolohe on Sep 16, 2010 1:13 pm
by JewdishoowarySquare on Sep 16, 2010 1:14 pm
Others may be able to answer your other concerns, but I believe that CaBi has addressed your "full rack" issue. As I understand it, if you try to return a bike to a full rack, the system will tell you where the nearest location with empty spots is and will give you extra time beyond the 30 minutes to get there. That works for me.
by todd on Sep 16, 2010 1:16 pm
And a condom only decreases the risk of an STD when you're having sex with someone who...
Who is it that you think plans to be in an accident?
Anyway, while the logic is crazy, I still don't see this as too much of an issue for the program. Most trips are going to be pretty short, and anyone who uses it regularly is, of course, free to bring their own helmet if they want.
by Jamie on Sep 16, 2010 1:16 pm
@Adam; Crystal City BID is footing the bill, they (arlington) are looking for money to expand. It's a shame Arlington couldn't find the money for Rosslyn, as it is right across the river.
I agree with you about the 30 minute thing, and that highlights the problem when you throw VA into the mix. 30 minutes is too DC centric. For example, there is no easy way to get form Crystal City to DC inside of 30 minutes. Yes, I know, it is the 14th street bridge problems but still. Crystal City to Rosslyn, with excellent bike trails, is also about 30 minutes.
by charlie on Sep 16, 2010 1:18 pm
I don't think this is a big deal - I think it speaks to the way most people will use it. The configuration, nor the bicycles, are really intended for long trips.
Likewise, if you had a long trip like that which you rode often, the benefits of the service compared to just using your own bike would be a lot less. The benefits are convenience and low overhead, which are overwhelmed by the desire to be on a decent bike if your trip is long.
by Jamie on Sep 16, 2010 1:21 pm
by JewdishoowarySquare on Sep 16, 2010 1:27 pm
What do I do if there are no empty bike docks when I want to return my bike?
We'll give you 15 minutes extra to return the bike to a station with an available dock. Simply go to the kiosk at the full station and enter the number on the back of your Capital Bikeshare key or insert your credit card (for 24-hour members) to get an additional 15 minutes and check the status of nearby stations to find an available bike dock.
http://www.capitalbikeshare.com/faq
****
I wonder if the system could be programmed to give folks more than 30 minutes to get from Crystal City to VA.
by todd on Sep 16, 2010 1:27 pm
by Steve on Sep 16, 2010 1:27 pm
And while CC might be a very special case, exactly why would someone sign up for it that lives there? Maybe someone who lives on the far south (the eclipse) to Pentagon City. But you won't be access any other part of the system within 30 minutes.
(realistically 28 minutes -- find the station, take you stuff off, and then park the bike)
by charlie on Sep 16, 2010 1:28 pm
I'm considering removing my bike lock key from my key chain now that my CaBi fob is attached.
by Michael on Sep 16, 2010 1:35 pm
I wonder if you know that Crystal City is in VA.
by Marian Berry on Sep 16, 2010 1:47 pm
The value of the system is its versatility and convenience as a replacement for a less-convenient method of transportation, for short trips. I don't see why anyone would want to ride (say, as a commuter) for easily 60-90 minutes a day, as would be the case for a round-trip from Crystal City to anywhere in DC, on a 30 pound, 3-speed bike.... that's not even guaranteed to be there.
Even if you happened to live on top of the crystal city stop and it's location was very convenient, and the same was true for your destination, there are a lot of downsides for such a long trip on a heavy, minimally geared bike.
by Jamie on Sep 16, 2010 1:47 pm
I mis-typed and obviously meant "Crystal City to DC."
by todd on Sep 16, 2010 1:51 pm
by Anon on Sep 16, 2010 2:04 pm
Likewise, a lot of people have workplaces that are more than a 10-minute walk from the Metro (and a lot of metro stops have the bikes). People who work even farther, say more than a mile, often choose to take a bus or they don't ride Metro at all--they just drive the whole way instead.
If there were bike stations not far from their workplaces, then a lot of those commuters would now have that much more convenient option available for the "last mile." That is one of the objectives of the system.
by Steve O on Sep 16, 2010 2:43 pm
The SmarTrip idea is genius.
by Steve O on Sep 16, 2010 2:44 pm
You can get a free month if you come to the launch on Monday and help by riding a bike to its station destination.
Contact megan.kanagy@dc.gov for more info.
by Steve O on Sep 16, 2010 2:48 pm
I am also uncertain about the full racks. They have to find something better than '15 minutes to find a nearby station'. In Georgetown that would be 20 minutes of walking away, and hence useless.
It would be good if the 30 min "free" would become 45. But I guess they do need to make money one way or the other. I expect that the free half hour will disappear soon.
by Jasper on Sep 16, 2010 4:09 pm
by Liz P on Sep 16, 2010 4:14 pm
by Liz P on Sep 16, 2010 4:19 pm
by JewdishoowarySquare on Sep 16, 2010 4:25 pm
Despite the large number of bike stations, their placement does not add value to existing reach of transit and my own bike. The price is not right. I want to take a trip for an hour for free. Half an hour is too restrictive. I don't want to worry about the meter running on the bike.
I emailed the program and told them I'd subscribe immediately if there were bike stations in those locations that are currently out of easy reach of the transit system, like Potomac Park (East and West), Lincoln Memorial, Meridian Hill Park, the National Arboretum, the Washington Sailing Marina, and the West End (Trader Joe's area). Putting all the stations near metro stops is sort of a waste for me. If I want to go from one metro stop to another, I'll take the metro!
I wonder if the Capital Bikeshare program is unwilling to challenge the tour operators who would not welcome the competition or if NPS is being difficult.
by Ward 1 Guy on Sep 16, 2010 5:06 pm
You can get a daily membership for just $5. That means unless you think you're going to use it more than 10 times a year (doubtful for me), it makes sense just to sign up by the day. Whenever the membership rate goes up to $75, you'd have to use it at least 15 times a year to make it worthwhile. Plus, if you sign up by the day, you use a code to retrieve the bike, which means you don't have to carry the bikeshare key about with you everywhere or risk losing it ($10 replacement fee). Daily signup will apparently be available right at the bike rack, so it should be super-convenient.
I'd say rather than sign up for an annual membership, try it out a few times with a daily membership. If you find yourself using bikeshare a lot, then consider annual membership, otherwise it's not worth it.
by renegade09 on Sep 16, 2010 5:37 pm
30 minutes. Bike share rides are intended to be short, to keep the bikes circulating. I don't know what number DC used, but 10 riders per day per bike is standard. That cant happen if someone hogs the bike. If you want to ride longer, do it, but it costs money. Think of it like parking meters, $ is used to encourage turnover.
Using the transit card. Can't happen unless every card is attached to a credit card. Bike share bikes cost over $500 each. The Paris ones are closed to $1,000 a piece. Credit card or membership card is needed for theft. I dont know what Cabi charges, but most systems charge your credit card around $500 if you fail to return the bike in 24 hours. If anyone could use a smarttrip card, theft would be rampant.
Density. Yes, it's unfortunately low. Hopefully, it becomes popular enough that user fees can cover expansion in case the feds do not chip in. Downtown, there should be a station on every block.
by Bikeshare on Sep 16, 2010 5:42 pm
While I can't refute your logic on how many times you need to use the system before breaking even... I think you overestimate how convenient the daily membership will be. I believe the bikeshare key that full members will have has the potential to save them lots of time.
by Paul on Sep 16, 2010 5:47 pm
I see your point there, but I'm sure if you did it more than once, you could skim through all the screens pretty quickly. It depends of course on how often you plan to use the bikes. For me, I'll probably only be using bikeshare when a friend visits, so the extra signup wouldn't be much hassle. I don't mind joining up for a year, because I'd like the scheme to have lots of users and be seen as a success, but if I find that I don't use it much, I'll definitely go for daily membership after my year's membership is up.
@all the people worrying about the 30 minute free ride thing
Why not just pop the bike into the nearest rack when you hit 25 minutes and then take out another bike? Then you can keep riding as far as you want. (I expect that your butt is going to tell you to get a proper bike after riding one of these things for any considerable distance though)
by renegade09 on Sep 16, 2010 5:59 pm
Overall the slowness didn't sour me on the experience - but it's enough to make me think a semi-regular user would get frustrated with the slowness of the daily registration and would find the bikeshare key to be invaluable. YMMV.
by Paul on Sep 16, 2010 6:12 pm
by charlie on Sep 16, 2010 6:13 pm
by Bikeshare on Sep 16, 2010 7:55 pm
I think the reason for the lack of stations on the Mall is that the NPS wouldn't cooperate and let them put stations on NPS land.
by MLD on Sep 17, 2010 9:45 am
by Steve on Sep 17, 2010 3:46 pm
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ifindbikes/id376137155?mt=8
by Steve on Sep 17, 2010 3:49 pm
But, the other point is most folks plan on using bike share to replace another form of green transit: a 20 minute walk, a metro ride, or a weekend bike ride. It doesn't seem like it displaces car trips, really. Interesting, I think.
They ought to make membership $10, so these things don't sit around all day.
by mtp on Sep 17, 2010 10:41 pm
I've long had multiple bikes for multiple purposes: this one goes fast, that one folds, those have fenders, and that one over there has a flat tire I haven't gotten around to. (Yes, I have an ample basement at this apartment, but who knows about the next one.) And yet I just signed up for CaBi. This way, I can return my mountain and road bikes to lighter-weight and more fun, but less practical around town, setups -- since I'll use CaBi instead of my bikes for short trips around town. And if other cities start to follow suit, I can get rid of that silly folding bike altogether and ride comfortable, real bikes wherever I go. I'm always surprised at how much work it takes to keep even a beater bike in good shape; I easily spend more than $50 a year on mine, and it always feels strange having nicer & shinier parts on it than on my "real" bikes.
All those freaking out about 31-minute rides should try living it up a little. I recently spent a weekend in Montreal and for one day, it felt like we did nothing but ride around on Bixis to and fro for hours, late at night and all through the day, north and east and west, without *ever* really thinking about how long the trips were. Total "overage" cost was $5.50 -- i.e., one round trip on the Metro. When you come up to a full station, the system doesn't just extend your time, but it tells you where the nearest "free" station is. The smartphone apps also provide that info.
I've read that SmarTrip integration (previously mentioned in Montreal and Minneapolis, which both have widely used regional transit smartcards) isn't possible since the station's solar-powered hardware usually goes on standby, and the physical key wakes it. However, B-Cycle uses a smartcard key; you press a little button on the smartcard target to wake up the hardware. Maybe the next generation of hardware can include that, but various software still needs to be figured out -- like how to charge the $100/$250 bicycle deposit, or how to segregate tax-advantaged transit-benefit dollars within the SmarTrip system.
As for bike-sharing's capability to displace car trips, a Lyon survey found that half of drivers who'd signed up reported driving less; in Montreal, 10% of Bixi trips would have been in cars (mostly in cabs) and 4% of trips were "induced demand," or trips that otherwise wouldn't have been taken. (Induced bike trips are good for the city, since they mean more money spent locally.)
by Payton on Sep 25, 2010 1:43 am
just used the "Bcycle" bike sharing system in Chicago the weekend before labor day. Since I was a visitor I used the daily membership. It took me nearly 10 minutes to check out the bike through the kiosk with all the extra screens of license agreements, payment information, etc..
Just wanted to comment (from The Future):
I used the daily option at 13th & H NE the other day, and it took about as long as paying for a parking space via one of the green credit-card based payment systems.
by oboe on Oct 27, 2010 1:30 pm
by Mr. Carlin on May 11, 2011 10:14 am
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