Bike share may be delayed

....and, so it begins. The backlash against bike share.

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/04/bike-share-stations-vandalized-meeting-set/#disqus_thread

This is the just the beginning of an epic show.

Actually, they knew that there would be lots of objections, and that (no matter how many hearings, press and notices you provide...) a significant percent of people usually wait until it is rolled out to get vocal and/or begin understand its full impact.

Bike share will prevail, but no one on the team thinks that everyone likes them.

They are completely aware that people hate change, and rebel anytime they perceive they perceives "others" exerting control over what they feel is "their" environment.

Here's a demographic study of Washington DC's bikeshare program:

http://docs.trb.org/prp/13-5029.pdf

It is both.

...a big part of the turf fight is that they believe that their present customers and neighbors won't be among those using the service.

Time will tell if they are right.

Even if they end up being right, it remains to be seen whether the forces against bikeshare will gain the power required to have it retracted.

Hence, the bikeshare advocates want this to be really popular, really fast.

It is great advertising for Citicorp.

Not only does it put their name in wealthy neighborhoods, it puts them in contact with people in their 20s - 40s in those very neighborhoods.

Genius.

The pace picks up...

Transportation Alternatives wrote:

DEFEND BIKE SHARE IN FT. GREENE & CLINTON HILL

Wednesday, April 24, 2013 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Do you live in Ft. Greene or Clinton Hill? If so, RSVP to this urgent Town Hall Meeting to defend Citi Bike in your neighborhood.

Thanks to your vocal, outspoken support for the last two years -- Citi Bike, New York City’s new bike share program – is blooming on street corners in your neighborhood. You have probably noticed new stations near your house or your favorite local businesses.

As exciting as this is, the sad truth is that Citi Bike is under attack in your neighborhood. Right now, a vocal minority of residents in your district are putting pressure on Council Member Letitia James to remove Citi Bike docking stations. These residents say the sidewalk outside or the parking spot near their front door isn’t public property. They say, “It’s mine.”

You know how much your neighborhood will benefit from a public bike share program like Citi Bike. You know sidewalks and parking spaces are shared, public spaces, to benefit everyone. Will you speak up?

Attend the Public Meeting about Bike Share in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill and help us pack the room with vocal supporters of bike share in your neighborhood. Be sure to bring your neighbors who can’t wait for bike share to begin. We will send you some facts about Citi Bike and the extensive community process that made it possible if you RSVP.

Save the date and spread the word. Bike share in Ft. Greene & Clinton Hill depends on your participation on Wednesday night!

http://bikenyc.org/event/4407

Did anyone go to the Tish James meeting at Banneker last night? Any reports? I didn't realize it was going to be a refereed bickering match, so I'm glad I didn't go, but I would very much like to hear whether the opponents got slapped down. (I don't tune in to the daily politics of this stuff.)

Just reading through old posts on this and other threads, I am disappointed but not surprised to read the same old knee-jerk reactions to this concept that crop up in every single other implementation. I've used the bike share in Montreal, Paris, DC, and Denver, and I just can't overstate what a massive quality of life improvement this thing is. Let me count the ways.

First, when you put this in the context of other public transportation (which is what it is), it is a steal. Basically, if you are riding anywhere within the perimeter of the docking station coverage, you should have no problem finding a station at which to check in and extend your time. If you have the annual subscription, you have 45 minutes to find one of the stations that will be on practically every other block (and the penalty is only $2 if you screw that up). How much is a monthly subway pass again?

So it's much cheaper than other public transportation, but serves the exact same function. This is not primarily for friends who want to take laps around the park with you. It's for people who want to ride to work but can't park their bikes in/near the office (yes, it may be tricky to find bikes to take and spaces to park on major commuter routes); for people who want to ride over to a friend's house and go out from there; for people who need to schlep some stuff farther than they care to walk...in other words, similar to the reasons you take the subway or bus. I have a bike and will be signing up for Citibike, but not so bikeless friends can use it -- they can sign up for a daily/weekly pass.

Third, NYC is lucky to be getting the Bixi-style (same as Montreal & DC) bikes as opposed to the B-Cycles that are in Denver and other cities. The Bixi bikes are more comfortable, compact, and nimble, so they're safer to ride. They're also more cleverly designed, particularly the "baskets," which hold smaller loads but do a better job with their bungee cord straps. The B-Cycles have huge baskets over the front wheel, which makes them very clunky and unstable.

The last thing I'll say is, with regard to Citi's logo being plastered all over the place, I hear you. Fuck Citi. But there are more clever ways to protest than covering up the instructions on how to use the bikes (is your money in a credit union?). Way to be community minded. The fact is, this project is just not possible without major investment, and the city is unwilling to put all of it up. From what I can tell, the reason cities go with B-Cycle is that they can't get that investment. Instead, they rely on large property owners to sponsor stations, so outside the core business district (using Denver as an example) you end up with stations limited to transit hubs, big retailers (e.g., REI), and places like hospitals, which are totally inconvenient. It makes the system incoherent and takes away from the "public" aspect of the transportation.

I wish I understood the psychology of these residents who want to resist any change and set themselves up to get shafted. Not only is it coming, it's a good thing and you actually don't want to be left out. Get in front of it and try to steer it to your maximum benefit. Pick a real battle, like school privatization. Christ.

Ok, pick another issue worth caring about, or is the point that these morons actually don't give a shit about anything that matters?

I wish I had seen this before I posted, it would have saved me some time:

Noisy bike share stations with their corporate advertising will ruin the character of my landmarked neighborhood.

No, you're ruining the character of your landmarked neighborhood by being a douchebag. Your landmarked neighborhood had character exactly until you moved there. London and Paris both have bike share and they fart more beauty and history in their sleep than any Brooklyn neighborhood. The average Tesco is more interesting than your stupid brownstone.

And yeah, bike share stations are so noisy, what with their loud motors and slamming doors and alarms going off all night long.

From the city's point of view, I can understand why it did not engage homeowners and businesses more:

Despite that the fact that homeowners and businessess have to maintain the sidewalks, the city actually owns them. The city didn't want to create anymore confusion in the minds of homeowners than already exists.

I think the real fun will start if the city doesn't provide adequate trashcans around the sites, and the city then tickets the homeowners/businesses for litter on sidewalk.

P.S. Cate from Brownstoner appears to have attended the Mtg with Tish last night:

The current locations are not permanent and may be changed later after the DOT evaluates which ones are most popular, DOT reps said.

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/04/113286/#disqus_thread

The thing about bus shelters is, people hang out there. They're shelters. The average length of time a person hangs out at a bike share kiosk is about a minute. Okay, maybe five if it's a tourist or a newbie. And the additional noise will likely consist of (i) the kiosk dinging gently when someone takes out/leaves a bike, or (ii) mild oaths of frustration by the same said tourists/newbies. It will pass. And it definitely won't be more disruptive than having cars park in front of your building.

The same sort of kvetching goes on with merchants every time they put a bike lane on their street. Bitch bitch bitch, all of our business is going to dry up. Doesn't quite work out that way. In other words, the worst part is going to be these model neighbors will actually benefit in the end, even though they don't deserve it.

Homeowner-

I think you are getting at the issue, and that is that Bikeshare isn't designed for the people who already live here; The people that live here are but a small contingent of the stakeholders in this.

Other stakeholders include people who visit here, people who work there, people who shop here.

Needless to say, each group wants their concerns to be most important.

Everyone wants the authority to approve such programs on whether it is good "for them", but (in this case, and in many others) that authority/power is/was not distributed more widely, because the potential risks were deemed to exceed the gains.

This Manhattan blog has a lively discussion going on with its readers: http://evgrieve.com/2013/04/making-way-for-citi-bikes-docking.html

whynot_31 said:

The first Community group has filed a lawsuit: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130430/west-village/village-co-op-owners-sue-stop-bike-share-installation

Ugh, Can't we do anything ANYTHING in this city without a dozen people lawsuits being filed? Glad, to see the judge promptly threw this suit in the trash. The judge who oversees the ongoing Prospect Park west bike lane lawsuit could learn a thing or two.

Nothing is sacred:

Even normal bike racks are being displaced for citibike racks.

http://gothamist.com/2013/05/01/cyclists_turn_on_citi_bike_for_elim.php

It seems like it went pretty well.

...no one reportedly punched anyone else.

Press:

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130503/greenwich-village/bike-share-war-rages-at-village-forum

More Press:

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/05/03/bike_share_takes_another_beating_from_soho_village_residents.php#more