Starting a bike-sharing program
 

Hi, forum readers.

I just wanted to present a project I am starting in my community and get some feedback, hopefully from some people who have had experience with running or using a bike-sharing program. Rather than describing it again I'm copying the description I wrote in the Facebook group that I created:

Athens Yellow Bike Taxi Service
Global
Basic Info
Type:
Organizations - Community Organizations
Description:
A free bike-sharing program intended to provide accessible transportation to the Athens area.

Here's how it works: We build bikes and let them loose in the city, each with a lock and information on how to reach the bike co-op. Whoever wants to use the bikes comes and signs up for the service by giving us some contact info and making some sort of donation. We then give them access to the locks and instruct them on how to use the bikes responsibly. They can then use any taxi they find for the day and leave it locked in a public place when they are done with it. If they want to secure a bike for a short time, such as while they are in class, they can provide their own lock and "double lock" a taxi for up to two hours. Problems and changes are addressed by sending mass e-mails to everyone who has signed up.

If the program grows big enough, it may actually become something like a chartered taxi service with pedicabs.

Contact Info
Office:
37 S May
Location:
Athens, OH

Recent News
I'm in the process of creating the yellow bike taxi fleet.

Fifteen bike have been selected for the taxi service.

Four taxis are operational, two more have yellow paint on them, and I think three others are stripped of parts and being prepped.



So please, any insight into how bike-shares can be run smoothly and effectively should now be discussed.

Here's a starter topic:

My initial thought was to lock the taxis up using combination locks and give lists out to those who sign up that shows the code for each bike. Chris thought maybe we could chain and padlock them instead, giving out a master key to those who sign up and it would open every padlock.

I like the combo idea because the list could also have info on the co-op and how to get a hold of us, That and a credit-card sized piece of paper would be easier to replace if someone lost it. The downside is that once a card is lost or numbers given away there's no telling how many people will gain un-authorized access to our fleet. Only if we scramble which lock goes with which bike and re-issue our cards could we stop a runaway code leakage.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Eric

The city where I live tried something like this, but less controlled. A group of people got ahold of a whole bunch of old bicycles, fixed them up and painted them a brilliant lime green, then left them scattered around the city. The idea was that if someone needed transportation from Point A to Point B they would grab the nearest bicycle, hop on, and ride ... then leave the bicycle on a street corner for the next person.

I believe it was less than a year before the bicycles were all either trashed or gone.

However Paris has a more controlled setup which seems to be working.

After getting started with this idea I heard from someone that the exact same sort of thing happened in our drunken, partying college town. It didn't surprise me because I was sure that was what would happen if I put all kinds of work into these bikes and just let anybody use them without any sort of rules or regulation.

The only other bikesharing program I've seen was in Vienna, and it looked like this:

http://fc11.deviantart.com/fs32/i/20...y_DJ_Erock.jpg

The others have pointed it out, but I would reiterate that you should be prepared to lose all of your bikes.

Instead of a donation, may be providing something for collateral would be better, like a credit card.

cycleric, you haven't looked into Paris's setup yet? And Lyon's, on which Paris's is based?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...032301753.html
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2...h-10600-bikes/
http://www.velib.paris.fr/

I think that such a program is doomed for failure in the United States unless you properly secure the bicycles. We just have too many people in our culture that think it is OK to take or vandalize, someone else's property.

Here in Pittsburgh, they have a sharing program. I don't know a whole lot of details on the project but the bikes are stored in bike sheds. The lock can be opened with a swipe card. I would assume you need to provide a credit card to get a swipe card and would be responsible for the bike if it is lost or stolen.

I know nothing about this program but maybe you can contact them and see what they have to share?
http://www.arcata.com/greenbikes/