An occasional update on items from the Velo-city.
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BIKE SHARE IN NEW YORK
It’s official: now that New York has a bike-share system – CitiBike – no place that considers itself a sophisticated urban environment will be without one. (Um, Vancouver?)
Of course, New York will consider itself the one with the most important. Story here.
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WORTH REPEATING: BIKE LANES GOOD FOR BUSINESS
Back in November 2012, the New York Department of Transportation released a report called Measuring the Street: New Metrics for the 21st Century, which had some compelling figures on the way that local business benefits from bike-lanes, for the fairly obvious reason that cyclists find it easy to stop and shop, as compared to drivers, who are more likely to continue on to a mall with a big parking lot, or shop online.
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To repeat: Retail sales up 40 percent on Ninth Avenue separated bike lane.
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Even on a raining evening, the bike parking outside the Alibi Room was overflowing while the on street car parking was not full. http://twitter.com/bccycle/status/340141871672213504/photo/1
Reminder: Vancouver Bike Share system was announced to be launched for the Velo city conference back in June 2012…1 year delay…and stil tick…tick
City officials continue to deny any problem and delays….Really? That is pathetic at best,
Alas, What is the point to have a bike share system, when in the same time you have an helmet law?
It is a bit like if the city was enforcing wearing of lifejacket at its swimming pool, and come to explain they want to encourage more swimming!
At some point the city has to face the reality…and stop to waste our tax $ on non nonsensical solution..
So… are you upset that the program has been delayed, or that they are going ahead without changes to the helmet law?
Agustin, I am absolutely not surprised that the program is delayed, by probably 2 years (it is increasingly clear it will be not a launch before spring 2014 at best), so not upset by that.
I am upset by the negation of the obvious problems by City hall, But much more, I am upset they stubbornly go with a model, which odd of success is very slim at best, and , which gonna make the Vancouver Bike share much more certainly the most expensive one (on a bike basis) on the planet:
* The docking station are expected to cost as much as twice (on a bike slot basis) than the one of a typical Bike share systems
* The maintenance of the system is expected to cost as much as twice (on a bike basis) as a typical Bike share system.
At some point, it is time to stop the circus:
Every observer of what is going on on the Vancouver Bike share believes it is an unfolding fiasco, which gonna cost tremendous amount of taxpayer money:
I heard from very good source, that the City manager, Penny Ballem, is the main responsible of this unfolding fiasco.
I personally hold accountable the City council, but I admit that if Penny Ballem prevents the city staff to do the relevant recommendations; toward a workable Bike share system; it is difficult for the council to go against its administration on that matter.
By the way the relevant recommendation starts with the city repealing its own bylaw,
and there is more idea here
Hope that answer your question 😉
Yes it does; thank you!
Just wrapped up my motorcycle training course. The solution they used for sharing helmets, you put on a washable reusable bandana under the helmet. Green, cheap and effective. You can place a bunch of advertising on them to pay for them and let users keep them if you wanted.
It is well known everyone wear a bandana at all time…isn’it?
PS the only people I see doing that are the very people exempt of helmet, including on motorbike….
…and no, I don’t want wear advertising on my head…unless you pay me very very hefty money
…like motorist don’t want have advertising on their car…
What a strange idea people could have sometimes!
The advertising is UNDER the helmet where nobody can see it.