[Fwd: [WorldCityBike] Bike Shares Stalled Across USA]

Make sure you check the link from "helmets" in the next to last paragraph.

- T



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[WorldCityBike] Bike Shares Stalled Across USA
Date: 	Thu, 3 Jul 2008 07:35:13 +0200
From: 	Eric Britton <[email protected]>
Reply-To: 	[email protected]
Organisation: 	The Commons, EcoPlan
To: 	<[email protected]>



*Bike Shares Stalled Across the Country*

U.S. News & World Report  July 02, 2008 03:46 PM ET | Maura Judkis 
<http://www.usnews.com/Topics/tag/Author/m/maura_judkis/index.html> | 
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/fresh-greens/2008/07/02/bike-shares-stalled-across-the-country.html 
<http://www.usnews.com/blogs/fresh-greens/2008/07/02/bike-shares-stalled-across-the-country.html> 


 

Bad news for the bikeless: Hourly bike rental systems are being delayed 
in three U.S. cities because of various concerns.

 

Chicago 
<http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1021109,CST-NWS-bike24web.article> 
residents won't see rental bikes until legal issues are resolved---the 
city must establish whether the biker, company, or city is legally 
liable for any injuries incurred while riding. Officials have not 
announced a time frame for the rollout of the bikes. In Portland, Ore. 
<http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=121488402749298700>, 
plans are stalled indefinitely while city officials study the pros and 
cons of similar programs in Paris, Rome, and New Zealand.

 

And here in Washington 
<http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2008/06/30/story1.html>, 
Smartbike <https://smartbikedc.com/default.asp>, which was originally 
planned for this spring, will be available to renters in August because 
of meter installation and maintenance issues. The hottest month of the 
year in D.C. is not an ideal time to roll out a bike-sharing program, 
when most people would prefer taking the Metro or the air-conditioned 
comfort of a cab. A similar program will be unveiled in nearby 
Arlington, Va., but not until 2009. The Arlington bikes will not be 
interchangeable with the D.C. system 
<http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-in-business/2008/06/05/smartbike-dc-tries-to-catch-a-green-wave.html>'s 
bikes. All of the programs are based on the bike rental program in Paris 
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14429468>, where 
people can pay a yearly membership fee for access to bikes at stations 
around the city for short periods of time. According to a Washington 
Post 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301753.html> 
article that ran last spring, before the rental bikes were first 
introduced, a study analyzed trips through Paris by car, bike, and taxi, 
as well as on foot, and found that the bike was always the fastest. The 
bikes reportedly have alleviated congestion on the city's narrow streets.

 

Once systems have rolled out in U.S. cities, bike sharing will hit a few 
more snags. In cities where many people are used to driving or taking 
public transportation, and where bike lanes aren't prevalent, there may 
be accidents. Car drivers may not know to check their rear-view mirrors 
before opening their doors, which could cause serious accidents by 
making bikers swerve into the roads. Bikers who are new to city riding 
may not follow traffic laws, putting themselves in danger. On top of 
that, Smartbike and most other bike-sharing systems do not provide 
helmets 
<http://bike-sharing.blogspot.com/2008/06/bike-sharing-and-helmets.html> 
to riders, for hygienic reasons.

 

The D.C. fleet will start small---only 120 bikes, compared with Paris's 
10,000---so it will hardly be a formidable challenge to cars and public 
transport. Regardless, Chicago and Portland---and other cities looking 
to unclog roadways and green up their cities---will be basing their 
decisions on whether enough Washingtonians will hit the road in August 
with two wheels, instead of four.

 

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