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Bike share may be delayed — Brooklynian

Bike share may be delayed

pragmaticguy
pragmaticguy
edited November -1 in The Lounge / Random Stuff

According to a report on CBS radio this morning the bike share program that was supposed to start in March may be delayed as all 10,000 bikes that were stored at the Navy yard were under water. The damage is being evaluated.

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Comments

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    While I am pro-bikeshare, I have this fear that it will result in the needless deaths of lots of European tourists who expect NYC drivers to be similar to those of Europe's.

  • steveo
    steveo

    London and D.C. have found that the bike share crash rate is lower than the overall bike crash rate.

    http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/06/16/from-london-to-d-c-bike-sharing-is-safer-than-riding-your-own-bike/

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    That is encouraging.

    ...dead tourists are bad for business.

  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy

    But there's always a lot of onlookers and they buy stuff from the hotdog guys in the area so this could be a blow to the local economy. By the way, years ago I was in Amsterdam and those people ride just as crazily as they do here. And there's so many of them that it's tough to walk around. I think they fear trolleys more than motor vehicles.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    It should be interesting to see whether the bike share program escalates the present war between bikers and pedestrians.

  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy

    I wonder if the bikes were insured for flood damage or if they can be repaired without rusting. I doubt Citibank will donate another 10,000.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    Most modern bikes are built from metals that don't rust.

  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy

    The frames I'm sure won't. But sometimes the spokes, axles and the bearings in the pedals do.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    After a while, they do.

    I'd be interested in seeing if it is truly the bikes that were damaged, because they are meant to be rented and returned at outisde locations.

    Maybe the machinery that was going to release/lock the bikes was damaged?

    I am looking forward to this program.

  • homeowner
    homeowner

    The docking stations have electronic components and they were what was damaged. There may also have been damage to the kisoks. From the information in the Times article it seems like the bikes made it through okay.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    Boston's Bike Share program is popular:

    http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2012/12/02/hubway-eclipses-rides-closes-for-winter/m6wN00i7CxEqF7lzhhnLxJ/story.html

  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy

    Heard a report on CBS radio over the weekend that the bike share should be up and running by May. The machines have to have all the electronics checked as much of that got flooded. They're planning to start with 5500 bikes instead of the 10,000 originally planned.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    The culture chnage that comes from the sudden onset of this many bikes has been interesting to watch.

    The car drivers and bikers battle each other.

    The pedestrians and bikers battle each other.

    If the bikers can convince pedestrians that the city has gotten nicer as a result of increased biking they will win the day.

    If not, this program will be short lived.

  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy

    If bikers actually start watching out for pedestrians that may happen. But most of them don't give a crap and what's even worse is the clowns who are now riding the electric scooters. I'm just wondering how long it's going to take before a biker will have to start carrying insurance in the case of accident.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    PG-

    Requiring insurance of bikers seems very difficult to effectively implement.

    On rare occasions, bikers are prosecuted criminally, such as this one that was charged with manslaughter:

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303410404577466990820318610.html

  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy

    Yes, I agree but there is insurance for Segways so I don't know if it can't be done but I imagine the premiums would be so low that it wouldn't be worthwhile. As an insurance broker I suspect that a biker would be covered under the personal liability portion of their homeowners'/renters' insurance.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    Ah, but (as you are aware) many people do not have such insurance. If they are broke, when they crash into someone, the larger society has to eat the bill.

    ...I do wonder what insurance the bike share company itself will carry:

    If someone rents a bike with faulty brakes and ends up not being able to stop, the bus kills them, and their family sues the bike rental company. ....will the rental company be adequately covered?

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    May 2013 is fast approaching.

    here's where the stations are supposed to be:

    http://a841-tfpweb.nyc.gov/bikeshare/station-map/

    here are details about this adventure:

    http://a841-tfpweb.nyc.gov/bikeshare/

    ...this rollout should be interesting to watch.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    And, off we go!

    In this instance, they are putting the bikeshare dock on the street, where cars used to park:

    http://transportationnation.org/2013/04/08/nyc-starts-placing-bike-share-docks/

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    Memberships are being sold:

    https://citibikenyc.com/signup?utm_source=transaltCitiBikeAnnouncement&utm_medium=email&utm_content=version4

  • newguy88
    newguy88

    $95 gets you 45 minutes on a bike? Granted you can use it multiple times a day. But still, it just seems like going out and buying a bike makes better sense.

  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy

    I'm wondering what the vandalism rate is going to be. After dark, there will be few people around and I'm thinking if too many people can't park there's going to be a lot of slashed tires. What if you get to a dock and there's no working bikes. How long will it take to be fixed? I'm sure they have this planned out but then again, who knows.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    https://citibikenyc.com/faq

  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy

    Well, it's informative but it still doesn't bring up the question of vandalism. In addition, I see that a few docks are going to be placed on the sidewalk so, how does that work out for the homeowner/storeowner whose property it's in front of. Are they also going to have to clear the sidewalk around it from garbage, snow, etc. Does it become a liability issue if someone trips over a bike in front of their property? Lots of questions remain unanswered in my mind but then, like I said, I'm sure they have it all figured out.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    You are more sure than I am.

    I think they will figure out as it goes along.

  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy

    Well, maybe I'm a just "glass is always half full" kinda guy....as Pragmatic as I am.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    newguy88 said:

    $95 gets you 45 minutes on a bike? Granted you can use it multiple times a day. But still, it just seems like going out and buying a bike makes better sense.

    There seems to be lots of interest, despite the price:

    DOT wrote: The NYC Department of Transportation and NYC Bike Share announced that the first 5,000 annual Citi Bike memberships were sold by 3:30 P.M. this afternoon. “New Yorkers are clearly ready to take advantage of the quick, convenient travel our bike share program will provide. It’s a strong early sign of success,” said New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.

    Annual memberships remain available by a simple visit to www.citibikenyc.com and all New Yorkers are encouraged to sign up for this fast and safe transportation option.

  • homeowner
    homeowner

    Think about it this way, if you live less than 45 minutes away from work by bike, and have kiosks near home and work, you could commute every day for $95 per year. Even if you only bike May-October, its cheaper than riding the subway.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    I'd factor in some overtime costs.

    http://www.citibikenyc.com/pricing

    ...but, yea, it is going to be very popular. I think not having to find safe parking for your bike, or drag it into your office, is one the main attractions.

    Others will absolutely hate it.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    This guy is annoyed that a dock is taking up a spot in front of his store.

    I expect we will see a lot of this as time goes on.

    http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bicycles_tough_sit_DYOkQaV61f5Hv5AuWpIHtM

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