31–40 of 137 posts
ViaCycle should sell its locking system then anyone with an unused bike can participate in the program!
A recent article from the Economist says London's bikes cost average price is £14,460/bike each, subsidised by government and advertising. Companies like ViaCycle will hopefully drop the price of these schemes. http://www.economist.com/node/21557527
In Germany we have a system like this called call-a-bike (it's run by the german railway!). It works surprisingly well. You're allowed to leave the bikes wherever you want and if they are left unused for a while a truck will come and move them back to a central location. I really like what via cycle has done with the SMS unlocking. Back when I was in Germany, almost three years ago now (!), you had to call a service…
I'm wondering what happens when someone gets hit by a car and complains that the bike didn't include a helmet. Don't get me wrong. I love the idea in every way, shape, and form - but I have serious questions about the legal safety issues.
For health reasons, helmets are not considered as hireable with bikes in the Australian schemes. This makes it extremely difficult for either tourists or casual interests to just get up and go.
I'm wondering what happens when someone gets hit by a car and complains that the bike didn't include a helmet. Don't get me wrong. I love the idea in every way, shape, and form - but I have serious questions about the legal safety issues.
I love the idea, but it's doomed to failure. I live in a city with a bike-sharing system. It's deeply unprofitable and exists only at the sufferance of the city government. There are a number of flaws. Number 1 is that people who ride bikes don't rent them, they own them. For $100 anyone can purchase a bicycle that will last indefinitely and be available 24/7/365. Number 2 is that people vandalize the shit out of bic…
I love the idea, but it's doomed to failure. I live in a city with a bike-sharing system. It's deeply unprofitable and exists only at the sufferance of the city government. There are a number of flaws. Number 1 is that people who ride bikes don't rent them, they own them. For $100 anyone can purchase a bicycle that will last indefinitely and be available 24/7/365. Number 2 is that people vandalize the shit out of bic…
I love the idea, but it's doomed to failure. I live in a city with a bike-sharing system. It's deeply unprofitable and exists only at the sufferance of the city government. There are a number of flaws. Number 1 is that people who ride bikes don't rent them, they own them. For $100 anyone can purchase a bicycle that will last indefinitely and be available 24/7/365. Number 2 is that people vandalize the shit out of bic…
Your article on Velib is from 2009, and while they did have a lot of theft early on, it was due to a design flaw. They've since fixed the problem and recently celebrated their 100 millionth ride. Also, theft hasn't been a problem at all in the US:
http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/11/29/theft-and-vandalism-ju...
A $1K bike may seem expensive, but they have a lot of differences from your local $100 Walmart cruiser. Our bikes are meant to last for years while being used 24/7 and withstanding any weather. They're also hardened against theft.
The financials are good as well. DC breaks even on operations, while Denver has made a sizable profit:
http://www.commuterpageblog.com/2012/02/capital-bikeshare-st...
Their main issue is high capital cost, which viaCycle solves. We can do a large city programs or let organizations install bikes on a grass-roots level, so you don't need to splash out $5+M to have reliable transportation.