Bike Share Philadelphia Forum

[c152atn67]

Originally Posted by ACG

How is the bike secured when the rider makes stops along the way from the pick-up and drop off locations?

Generally, these work by having so many bike stands, that you are no more than a block away from one when you are in the 'coverage zone'(aka center city). If you do not want to walk that block, bring a lock.

[ACG]

Originally Posted by c152atn67

Generally, these work by having so many bike stands, that you are no more than a block away from one when you are in the 'coverage zone'(aka center city). If you do not want to walk that block, bring a lock.

Let's say I bike out to Fairmount Park and want to go hiking. There is either no bike stand or it is full.

Is it my responsibility to make sure the bike in my charge is locked up with my own lock?

If the bike stand is full, do I end up paying for the bike for the whole time I am hiking (until I can get it into a stand) since I can not put it in the stand making it available for other bike share members and other members do not have access to my lock?

Is there a guideline as to what are acceptable bike locks or is that left to my judgment (or more realistically, what I am willing to spend on a lock)?

If I made an attempt to secure the bike with my own lock and it still gets stolen, how much am I on the hook for? And what is my cost if it gets damaged or vandalized during my use?

Please don't take this as trying give anyone a hard time about the program because of my earlier posts. I am interested in participating in bike share and just trying to figure out all my real costs (no just the basic membership/used costs) to get started and worse case scenarios.

[marclips]

Originally Posted by ACG

Let's say I bike out to Fairmount Park and want to go hiking. There is either no bike stand or it is full.

Is it my responsibility to make sure the bike in my charge is locked up with my own lock?

If the bike stand is full, do I end up paying for the bike for the whole time I am hiking (until I can get it into a stand) since I can not put it in the stand making it available for other bike share members and other members do not have access to my lock?

Is there a guideline as to what are acceptable bike locks or is that left to my judgment (or more realistically, what I am willing to spend on a lock)?

If I made an attempt to secure the bike with my own lock and it still gets stolen, how much am I on the hook for? And what is my cost if it gets damaged or vandalized during my use?

Please don't take this as trying give anyone a hard time about the program because of my earlier posts. I am interested in participating in bike share and just trying to figure out all my real costs (no just the basic membership/used costs) to get started and worse case scenarios.

I'm not an expert in these programs, but I would certainly hope that if Philly started this program they'd be smart enough to put bikeshare racks at the major jumping-off points for Fairmount Park (say, at Wissahickon TC) and a few other key locations outside of Center City. (Another really great location might be the sports stadiums, so riders could ride to games or concerts and then take the bike back to CC via either pedal power or BSL.)

As far as rare situations where you cannot lock it up, my guess is you're still responsible for the bike just like you are with a rental car. Hopefully there'd be some sort of phone number plastered on the bike that you could call in case of emergency, like your situation. And as a last resort it is possible to take the bike back to CC from just about anywhere in the City via SEPTA.

A separate but related question is what happens if the bike gets damaged while in your care due to accident or pothole or whatever? Does the cost of the bike come out of your pocket? My guess is no but maybe someone else can answer this.

[CountFunkula]

anyone want to join CWS and I on the ride over to this event? Supposedly, they are going to have free bike valet parking.

[c152atn67]

Originally Posted by ACG

Let's say I bike out to Fairmount Park and want to go hiking. There is either no bike stand or it is full.

Is it my responsibility to make sure the bike in my charge is locked up with my own lock?

If the bike stand is full, do I end up paying for the bike for the whole time I am hiking (until I can get it into a stand) since I can not put it in the stand making it available for other bike share members and other members do not have access to my lock?

Is there a guideline as to what are acceptable bike locks or is that left to my judgment (or more realistically, what I am willing to spend on a lock)?

If I made an attempt to secure the bike with my own lock and it still gets stolen, how much am I on the hook for? And what is my cost if it gets damaged or vandalized during my use?

Please don't take this as trying give anyone a hard time about the program because of my earlier posts. I am interested in participating in bike share and just trying to figure out all my real costs (no just the basic membership/used costs) to get started and worse case scenarios.

Your best bet is to ask these at the forum. For the first point, there will more than likely be a website showing exactly where every location of a bike stand is. While I would hope that it doesn't fill up, if it does there will likely be a number to call(same with PCS if some a**hole takes your spot). The forum will be able to answer your question about a bike lock, but my guess for your fairmount park analogy is that they will answer that the bikes are road bikes only. The bikes will likely be cheap road bikes, not bikes meant to be ridden around fairmount park, or even forbidden drive. I would also bet that if something happens to the bike, it gets mangled, vandalized, etc., you would not be liable, provided it is a very rare occurence for you, and you bring back the bike in some shape to prove that you aren't taking it.

[tbdiscovery]

I wonder if there will be options for upgrade bikes, such as mountain bikes; speed bikes; two, three, four seaters, four-wheel carts like the beach; etc? PCS offers variety, and that certainly helps. Sometimes you need the Prius of bikes, other times the Bemer, and of course the multi-person cruiser. Oh, and a basket for the doggies.

Will there be any issue with the bikes being outdoors? We don't always have the best of weather.

[Clayton Lane]

Great article by Melissa Dribben in today's Inquirer. Melissa also wrote a front-page article about car sharing last autumn.

Promoting bike-sharing in Philadelphia
By Melissa Dribben

Inquirer Staff Writer

If you've visited Paris recently, you will have noticed the streets teeming with people, all kinds of people, riding bicycles. Pensioners with baguettes wedged into the handlebar basket. Lawyers and businessmen with briefcases. Well-dressed women, (but of course), in high heels.

The bikes are gray, clunky workhorses with fenders, fat tires and comfortable seats. Despite appearances, they are high-tech, equipped with antitheft and global positioning devices and they represent the wave of the future. Or so many, including Philadelphia community activist Russell Meddin, hope.

The rest of this really informative article is here:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/13831897.html

[CapnMarko]

I am 100% for a Philly Bike Share and think it could be very effectively used in the city, but for argument's sake here is a cautionary tale ... probably more of a miss implementation tale


http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008...bikes_flop.php

You've read about the brilliant success of the Vélib' in Paris--the free bike system that enables pedestrians to pick up a bike in one place, drive it, and leave it at another station, all for little or no money. Barcelona is also having a love affair with theirs as is Lyons. But somehow the Brussels experiment, CycloCity, has flopped. During three days of research, this treehugger came across only one station in the centre of town, and it was full--almost no one had taken a bike (see picture). Perhaps one could blame it on the cobblestones, or traffic, or climate but Paris, Lyons and Brussels share similar urban traits. Antwerp also has cobblestones and traffic and it was over-run with cyclists, many with carriage contraptions attached to the front of the bicycles for their children. It seems that in Brussels only the tourists use the bicycles to get from one tourist site to another, not the locals. But why is this...

Part of the reason appears to be the lack of commitment on the part of Brussels and JC Decaux (the advertiser and sponsor). There are very few (20) stations set up around town. There are also very few bikes provided: 250 for a million inhabitants, compared with 20,000 bicycles for two million Parisians. There is no link or co-operation with the 19 suburban areas because they have their own system set up with a competing advertiser, Clear Channel.

There is a charge for the first twenty minutes of the ride in Brussels, as compared to Lyons and Paris where it is free--this is seen as an important factor in the success of their schemes. The starting fee is a disincentive to give it a try. In addition, the bicycles themselves are much heavier than the French ones and only have three speeds; which is problematic in a hilly city like Brussels. Local solutions adapted to suit local cultures seem to be key to success.

[CountFunkula]

the forum was great. Learned a lot. We need to get this done. I prefer the Lyon/Paris model to the German model.

but as someone pointed out....we don't need another wireless philly. We need to actually put this one off.

[ol tex]

Originally Posted by CountFunkula

the forum was great. Learned a lot. We need to get this done. I prefer the Lyon/Paris model to the German model.

but as someone pointed out....we don't need another wireless philly. We need to actually put this one off.

I really wanted to go to this, but I just couldn't make it. What did you learn? Can you give us a synopsis??