B-Cycle Dayton discussed
In Dayton Grassroots Daily show v 29, we’re talking B-Cycle.
I’ve been talking about bike sharing in Dayton for the last year. Putting smart bicycles all over the urban core and where we have high concentrations of people. Places like college campuses and major employers could have bike share stands to get people to think of riding for their short trips for lunch- instead of driving.
I’d like to get the system launched July 2010- to coincide with Denver’s roll-out of the same system. Being on the same news cycle could do an awesome PR job for Dayton- and put us on the map as a forward thinking city. We’ve already got a legacy of two bicycle builders- and one of the best bike trail network anywhere in the USA.
Greg Hunter is a huge cyclist- and was prepared to hate the idea. But, after hearing me, he’s a believer.
You watch:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEGlno4EbBg[/youtube]We’re lucky to have a whole bunch of other bicycle things going on. Kate Ervin made this presentation to the “Neighborhood conference” when she was still with the city- and B-Cycle makes a short appearance.
I’ve got hard numbers in the hands of the powers that be right now. We’re looking for $1.7 million to place 50 stations and 300 bikes in the first phase of the roll out.
If you’d like to see this in Dayton- comment in support.
How do you redistribute the bikes if one or two of the stations turn out to be a sink? In other words, if the traffic between stations isn’t symmetric, so they slowly build-up at one and there is a subsequent lack of bikes at another.
@jstults – there is a staff that works the system. It’s all digital- and as bikes need to be redistributed- or some need more dock space- it’s all reconfigurable. It will take time to start seeing trends in usage- but, with tracking over time, things start to balance.
Well David, the Old Bandito is wishing you the best while simultaneously expecting the worst. The template of such attempts, of course, is the sad plight and history of the shopping cart. In urban areas, such as, well, South Park with a grocery store nearby, the shopping carts in the adjoining neighborhoods outnumber the ones in the store’s cart corral. Pedestrians take them home with the real intent of returning them one day (yeah, right) and they also become the favorite transportation mode for the homeless. Make no mistake, these carts are expensive for the stores’ to purchase and maintain, and yet a spurious minority feels neither guilt nor reservation about purloining these carts. My guess is that railroad tressel over Patterson Boulevard which doubles as a hobo jungle will start to resemble the Tour de France……….
Hobo Jungle – Great band name or movie concept.
The idea of bikeshare is a great one. The modern systems are equipped with a GPS chip and RFID, such that missing bikes can be located, and each bike checked out has someone who is responsible for it.
However, there are systems that are cheaper and better than B-Cycle, so I would suggest putting it out in an RFP and choosing the best system on its merits.
@IceBandit- the system has GPS in the bikes- and RFID as Erik points out.
@Erik- care to provide links to better systems? I’ve looked at Bixi- any others? Thanks
Who makes the investment and how is money made? If it is tax payer funded, well then……..I have to say the idea is total crap.
@Robert Vigh- the investment is made by foundations – or by ad sponsorship/naming rights, and possibly federal funds for “congestion mitigation”- it is then funded by user fees and advertising revenue.
I agree this would be a great thing to have, but it could have some implementation issues.
@Carl- What implementation issues do you foresee?
If it is tax payer funded, well then……..I have to say the idea is total crap.
Who could have predicted Robert’s disapproval of taxpayer investment in something?
Seriously, though, whether this project is worthy or “total crap” isn’t something to be judged by who might invest in it, is it? One might argue, as Robert has, that governments shouldn’t even own or maintain streets and highways, but that doesn’t mean that the idea of having streets and highways is “total crap.”
— Hey, Robert, I’ve got an idea for you. Let’s have an Interstate Highway System.
— Oh? Who’s going to fund it?
— Taxpayers.
— Eh, your idea’s total crap.
So…where exactly are people going to go on these bikes? You can walk across downtown in 10 minutes!
the system has GPS in the bikes (Dave Esrati)
…and two-thirds of the toothpick chewin’ fools at Third and Main (if they not doin’ a B&E on some unsuspecting person’s house) have ankle bracelets that leads their parole officers to think they are at home, watching reruns of Law and Order……
So…where exactly are people going to go on these bikes? You can walk across downtown in 10 minutes? (Michael)
To he railroad tressel and hobo jungle over South Patterson……..
David Lauri,
I am predictable. If it affects freedom of the individual, I am against it. Since funding “projects” with money that is taken from me by force, then publicly funded projects affect my freedom. And yours, which I have so eloquently argued before.
Roads could easily be privatized. Interstate highways were originally built for military movement and protection of the country, so…….I can let that one go under the common defence.
So, if the b-cycle gets funding from federal or foundations which receive public funds………Then I would much rather them not do it and give me money back. But, oh wait…….. I dont want a gun held to anyones head to subsidize other peoples lives………………..yeah, its obvious that I am the crazy one, advocating rights and freedom.
DL, if the idea has merit, then let people privately fund it. It can be business oriented investment for profit, or a charitable organization. That I really do not care. Just leave all public funding out of it.
@david, here is a link to all of the entries in Copenhagen’s recent design competition: http://cphbikeshare.com/gallery.aspx
Some of these may be more expensive, but I just want to show that there are many systems now available, and the design is evolving at the pace of computers in the ’90s.
In addition to those, I am working at establishing a relationship with Samba, the system in Rio de Janeiro, and I know that they and many other companies are hungry to establish a footprint in the US market right now, so if Dayton opens it up for bid, you may be surprised at the price/quality ratio that they are offered.
Best wishes with your excellent idea.
Frredom of movement within our country is inherently a justifiable tax expenditure. The logistics of pay as you go (toll roads or other formulas) and the inability to even out the benefits for those served (residents, businesses, emergency services) make public roads, transit and bicycle systems fair game for government subsidy.
Merry Christmas from Louisville KY, AKA “Possibility City” (per their PR campaign)…..apparently BCycle is possible here, since I’ve seen some of the stations up downtown. I think the corporate sponsor here is Humana, the big hospital corporation, as a ‘wellness” initiative. I guess that’s what Dayton is lacking, the big corporate sponsor to come up with some of that missing $7M.
Oh well. It was a neat idea for Dayton, since this place could be more bikeable than Louisville.
I guess the real “Possibility City” is Dayton, since possibilities become realities in Louisville, while they remain merley “possible” in Dayton, just never realizable.
Ha Classic!
@Jeff- Humana is one of the three partners in B-cycle. The other two are Trek bicycles and Crispin Porter _ Bogusky. The system in Louisville is a prototype- early generation.
I don’t know where you get 7 mill- it’s more like 1.5- 2 mill.
Dan Maes, candidate for governor in Colorado, seems to be against bike-sharing programs. To learn more, read “Colorado Tea Party candidate Dan Maes: Bike-sharing is a ‘well-disguised’ effort aimed at ‘converting Denver into a United Nations community.’“
Saw this bike rental station in Paris recently; thought of the Dayton B-cycle efforts. What’s the latest?
@jstults- The efforts to bring bike share to Dayton are still using training wheels. While a few key players see the value- we’ve not gotten any serious support yet. I’m still working on it.