Now that New York City is finally getting on the bandwagon with a bike-sharing system, I suppose we'll soon be hearing a lot more about the advantages of substituting short auto trips with bike trips. That's a good thing.
Of course, some media outlets are already raising fear and loathing about the launch of the bike-sharing system announced Wednesday with 10,000 bikes operating from 600 bike stations in the summer of 2012. Turf wars are expected where bike kiosks could take up room on sidewalks, just as bike lanes sparked a debate earlier this year.
The Wall Street Journal points out the system “could dramatically expand the already growing number of bicyclists in New York City.”
Could? It would.
Promotes bicycling
Not only would 10,000 more bicycles be on the streets at any given time, but the sight of human-powered two-wheeled vehicles on the streets will encourage others to buy their own bicycles to commute or run errands.
That's been the experience in Europe, home to some 400 bike-sharing systems.
The European Cyclists Federation says it is finding the bike-sharing system are “improving the image of cycling.
“They promote cycling as a normal activity, and getting
more people out of their cars and onto bicycles. …
“This normalization
is good news, and is most definitely good for business. Our members
across Europe have been quick to tell us that these bike share systems
encourage private bicycle usage. In
Paris, for example, consumers have bought more than 2 million bicycles
since the city launched its huge Velib bike share program.”
Other US systems
I haven't heard whether the same is happening in the US. Currently, Washington DC has the largest system at 1,100 bikes at 114 stations.
The newest is Boston, launched July 28 with 600 bicycles in 61 stations. Big bike sharing systems are operating in Denver and Minneapolis, while Boulder, Colo.; San Antonio and Des Moines are among a handful of other cities with smaller systems.
Portland-based Alta Bicycle Share Inc. will operate the system, which will use Bixi bikes built by Montreal-based Public Bike System Company. Alta already runs the New Balance Hubway in Boston and the Capital Bikeshare in Washington DC.
A press release says that Alta Bicycle Share is working closely with Alta Planning + Design on bike share feasibility studies for Providence, RI; Seattle and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Costs
Like most bike-share systems, the fares are designed to encourage short usage. An annual membership would cost $100, but short-duration trips of up to 45 minutes would be free.
A user could take a bike from any kiosk and drop it off at another one.
The roll-out will be in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. Kiosk sites and a sponsor still need to be chosen.
All kinds of details are online at the NYC Bike Share website.
Recent Comments