June 13, 2007
D.C. Hears Our Cries, Plans for Bicycle Rental Program
Just a little over a month ago, DCist Jeff updated our very occasional series, What We're Missing, with a plea for the introduction of municipal bicycles available for rent all over the city, a la the same deal that Paris, France is about to get. Here's what he said:
At first, we cringe at the thought of hundreds of street-clogging lost tourists and a cottage industry of bike thefts. With more examination, though, there's a lot to like. Providing bikes in those numbers creates a critical mass that changes the way the city deals with them -- pushing DDOT to crate a more continuous and extensive bike network in the city. Streets and paths appropriate for bikers would get even more so, which pulls bicycles off of streets that aren't, lessening the dangerous competition with autos.
In Denmark, Copenhagen's City Bikes program has been established for years, resulting in huge shifts in transportation, pollution, and the city's image. As for theft, both Copenhagen and Helsinki's bicycle programs have actually reduced it. The free bike use provided by the program both eliminates the need for theft and removes a considerable market for resale.
Then today, like magic, Council member Tommy Well's (D-Ward 6) blog delivers the good word that our dreams are about to come true.
DDOT has announced that it will be launching an automated bicycle rental system in DC in partnership with Clear Channel. Similar to car sharing, the system would allow members to swipe a card and release a bike from a kiosk (DDOT says to think of it as kind of like an airport luggage carts -- but better).
Photo by Flickr user edwardaggie98.
Yeah, we know, Clear Channel is the devil, blah blah but come on, rental bikes! That work like Zipcars! Sounds pretty neat. This sort of arrangement would also do little to offer bikes to tourists, since you'd have to have an account set up to be able to rent one, but if the pricing structure makes sense and they're put in good locations around town, there's more than a few of us who would consider using them.
DDOT has set up a survey to ask residents where they think the bicycle kiosks, what they're calling SmartBike, ought to be in downtown, taking into consideration that each one is roughly 30 feet by 6 feet, and should be convenient to as many people as possible in the downtown area. Take a minute and let them know where you think the best spot for a bike rental kiosk would be for you.
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bikes good. kiosks bad. who's going to change all the slashed tires?
What's the fairmarket value of a bike rental? Zipcars are sub-$15 if I recall correctly.
good in theory, but the infrastructure must be changed to handle all these bikes AND the bikers need to be forced to actually follow the rules of the road...red lights generally mean "stop"
dcres - red lights and stop signs also mean the same thing for cars.
which is why i stop. i'm sorry, but i would stake my life on the fact that more bikers than drivers run red lights/stop signs
if you're one of the few who follows the rules, good for you
I'm still trying to divine what, precisely, is Clear Channel's motivation in this. First they sponsor high-tech bus shelters, and now high-tech bike "kiosks".
The only thing I can think of is they want to grab enough real estate to make a saturation-level play on the upcoming wireless market.
I regularly see bicyclists tying up traffic because they feel that, as an operator of a street vehicle, they are entitled to a whole lane. And then I regularly see bicyclists running red lights/stop signs, going the wrong way down a one-way street, etc. because they're not in a motorized death cage, maaaaaan.
I love bikes and the idea of biking over driving, but I'm sorry, you can't have it both ways, Lance.
I can't wait to see how it's implemented.
Honestly i don't think dc is ready for this. hopefully i'll be wrong, but i doubt it. DCs streets are just too jammed with cars going places in a hurry.
I hope I am wrong but I don't see this working. Those who would ride a bike around the city, like myself, already do and those who wouldn't are not going to start now. Plus, you have to feel comfortable riding a bike before you venture out into traffic. A bunch of unsteady bikers trying to make their way through rush hour is not going to be good for anyone.
"I'm still trying to divine what, precisely, is Clear Channel's motivation in this. First they sponsor high-tech bus shelters, and now high-tech bike 'kiosks'."
It's all about the advertising. They set up the shelters and the bike kiosks and get to sell the advertising that appears on them (or at least get a big cut of the ad revenue).
This will work (for me) if there's a kiosk near where I want to start my trip (house or office) and also near where I want to finish my trip (the Uptown, the Zoo, Eastern Market, Union Station), and if there's room at the destination kiosk for me to leave the bike. But if I have to pick up the bike at kiosk A and can only return it at the same kiosk, it won't work -- the hassle of having to lock up a bike on the street (and the risk it will get damaged or stolen) is already the reason I ride my bike for exercise and not for transportation.
What about helmets? I could see maybe using a rental bike for impromptu trips when I don't happen to have my bike with me or to show friends/family around town when they visit, but if I don't have my bike with me chances are I don't have my helmet either. Nor do I have an extra helmet for anyone visiting. Anyone know if these are going to come with rental helmets?
The lock thing is a good point, too. What are you supposed to do with the bike if you want to use it to go to the store or out for lunch?
Streets and paths appropriate for bikers would get even more so, which pulls bicycles off of streets that aren't, lessening the dangerous competition with autos.
stop reinforcing the idea that having bikes on streets is inherently dangerous. it's stupidity and disregard for the law - on the side of both drivers and bikers - that makes it unsafe. if drivers learn that being a couple minutes late is not worth risking someone's life, and bikers learn that it's not ok to suddenly jump out in front of traffic, everyone will be fine.
Clear Channel Smart Bikes are stored in and dispensed from automated "Adshel Advertising" structures, like bus shelters full of bikes with display ads on each end and (I think) along the back. It isn't clear to me if municipalities kick in money or public space for Adshels. I wonder if there is some federal funding here, maybe DOT "Inter-modal Transport" money.
Other Clear Channel Adshel structures include automated public toilets and information kiosks.
Advertisers pay for "streetscape" ads on buses, cabs, bus shelters and benches on the theory that this brings messages closer to the "point of sale." Clear Channel operates 45,000 of those taxi-top displays in 25 U.S. cities.
According to the Post, in the next 6 months Paris will get 20,600 bikes at 1,450 stations, one station every 250 yards across the city. Think we'll get that volume here?
"It's all about the advertising. They set up the shelters and the bike kiosks and get to sell the advertising that appears on them (or at least get a big cut of the ad revenue)."
I guess. I just don't see the advert space as being all that valuable from the client's perspective. How many people pay attention to, let alone are swayed, but bus shelter ads?
On the other hand, I think having permits for a very many wired structures in public space might lead one to consider and propose new ways of making more profit on them. I know, that's crazy speculating. But it's also silly to think that anyone managing a portfolio of assets wouldn't consider ways of improving the return on them.
I guess the fact that it's a new model just has me considering the possible future implications.
Most of the ad revenue comes from the bus shelters. In forming the agreement, the city forced Clear Channel to run the bike rental program (a money loser) in exchange for exclusive rights to place ads on bus shelters (a money maker).
In many cities the bike rental is free for the first half hour and that has led to wild success since most people can get from point A to point B is less time than that. DC will probably not follow this model.
They will not come with helmets, nor will they come with locks, but the idea is you'll ride them from kiosk to kiosk.
This all started back in September of 2005.
You can find out more on my blog, thewashcycle.com
Helmets? What does Paris do about Helmets? Sounds to me like a deal breaker.
And bikes are entitled to a whole lane. Most riders ride to the right to share their lane.
A note to those harping on bicycles not stopping at stop signs or stoplights: the "engine" in a bicycle is at most a 1/4 horsepower human, so stopping and reaccelerating put s a tremendous dent in your energy. Momentum is precious and needs to be conserved. If there are no cars or pedestrians coming, I do not see any harm in a cyclist cruising through a red light or stop sign, disaccomodating nobody in particular. There's no harm done, so give it a rest.
Hey dcres, do you always drive under the speed limit? Do you always wait on the corner when you see a don't walk sign? Different modes of transportation lend themselves to different considered breaking of laws designed to protect us. If you've never driven faster than the legal limit and never jaywalked, feel free to cast stones all you want. Otherwise, you're just as guilty as anyone else. And don't give me the "but those are different" line. Unless you're a regular biker, you don't understand the basics of city bike riding, just like someone who doesn't drive wouldn't understand to what extent driving above the speed limit might be acceptable or not.
T and tired of the hypocrisy, if nobody is around, I don't really care about bikers running reds/stop signs, but the danger occurs when they do it on a busy street. You just shouldn't do that regardless of your need to conserve energy or your mode of transportation. I don't see how this is even in question, and yet I've been cutoff by countless bikers in this situation. I actually respect that you choose a bike in the city and I have countless friends who do, but I just think that everyone on the road should follow the same rules for the safety of all around.