Advocacy & Safety - Bike sharing in Portland, OR

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View Full Version : Bike sharing in Portland, OR

Brian Ratliff
02-17-07, 12:02 PM
Check this out! Bike sharing! (http://bikeportland.org/2007/02/14/portland-plans-for-bike-sharing-system/)

This would be nice because then I wouldn't have to drag my bike onto the MAX (our lightrail transit system) if I don't want to drive around downtown.

chipcom
02-17-07, 05:01 PM
One of the great things about my many deployments to Japan when I was in the military was the Navy Exchange's bicycle rental operation. For just a few bucks, you could rent what we called a 'benjo bomber' for the duration of your time deployed there. They were basically cruiser bikes with fenders and dynamo lights.

My LBS sits adjacent to the O&E Towpath and does a very brisk rental business as well.

I think having the ability to rent a bike in the urban downtown areas would be great, but unfortunately many downtown areas, downtown Cleveland being one example, are far from bike friendly for the normal rider, unless you ride the sidewalks as a ped. I wish more cities were like Portland, from the standpoint of providing facilities for cyclists who are not alpha-dawg road riders like me.
sbhikes
02-17-07, 05:42 PM
Or else the downtown area is a tourist trap like my town so the bike rentals cater to tourists and cost too much for utilitarian purposes.

donnamb
02-17-07, 09:39 PM
It would be so nice to have bikes like that available for a few hours at a reasonable cost when you have friends visiting from out of town, etc. The few bikes shops around here that do rent bikes want an arm and a leg. I hope this happens.
Goldie Lock
02-23-07, 12:47 AM
communitybikenetwork.org

Biggest bikeshare in North America. the yellow bikes of Toronto. It was runed for thirty bucks a year, as a membership fee. PLESE CONTACT THEM AND ASK QUESTIONS? Please!!!!
Goldie Lock
02-23-07, 12:48 AM
http://www.communitybicyclenetwork.org/

sorry wrong linke
buzzman
02-23-07, 07:14 AM
when I was working in Switzerland and Northern France I would commute into Geneva on a commuter train. When I got some time off I would train to a little town and most towns had a bike rental place right at the train station. I could ride all day stop at the next little town served by the train and either leave the bike at that rental place (they were all part of the same network) or take it back on the train with me.

It felt like the pinnacle of being civilized.:)

Shared bikes or a network of rental facilities could work quite well in the New England area but I don't know of any. :(