1nterceptor

https://www.ecovelo.info/2011/09/08/b...-expectations/

In its first month, Boston’s Hubway bike share system sold 2,319 annual memberships and over 10,000 one- and three-day passes, with riders making a total of 36,612 trips. These numbers far surpass all expectations. The system, implemented by Portland’s Alta Bicycle Share, is comprised of 600 bikes spread across 53 stations, with plans to expand in the future.

buzzman

I commute in and out of Boston daily and can attest to it's success. I rode the "Barclay Bikes" while in London- similar format- and they were well established there but Boston has taken to them like a duck to water in the Boston Public Garden. I'm astounded to see groups of people riding through the city on them.

1nterceptor

New York City will get one soon too, curious too see the system:
https://transalt.org/campaigns/bike/bikesharefaq

Chicago Al 

Just awesome.

Paris has the velib bike rental...first half hour is free! And the bikes are quite chic, too.

buzzman

A friend I work with has paid the yearly fee and is using the bikes to commute from the T station to a docking station near work and back again. It takes him less then 1/2 hour so he pays nothing else in terms of fees- he's loving it.

atbman

Fools! Don't you realise this is a UN plot to introduce creeping socialism, pursuant to a full Commie takeover?

Firstly, they con people into believing that these bikes are a fun and efficient and inexpensive way to get round.
Secondly, having been fooled, people will get their own bikes and start riding them for leisure and utility rides
Thirdly, they may decide, in their brainwashed state, to, perhaps, get rid of one of the family cars, because they no longer need it
Fourthly, they will be prevented from their God-given American right to become ever more obese and, horrors, get fit without even realising it
Fifthly, (and you've heard of the fifth column, haven't you?) they may get together with similarly misled neighbours and start going out on group rides - with their wives and children, no less
Sixthly, many will even start wearing Spandex.

Where will it all end, I ask myself. Repent America, before it is too late.


Heh, heh, heh

Fenway

The bike sharing thing was actually part of a UN plan to usurp national sovereignty as part of some global initiative. Unelected paper pushing bureaucrats love drafting all sorts of plans. Thankfully most of the time such plans never amount to much more than phonebook thick collections of paper.

HOWEVER, in the real practical world there's no connection between individual cities hiring bike share operators as an addition to their public transit system and a bunch of international bureaucrats trying to dictate a new world order nanny-state.

Please wear a helmet instead of a tinfoil hat. Though on these forums it has been highly debated which would actually provide a greater degree of protection!

I-Like-To-Bike

Let us hope that it will all end at step five.

You were on a roll until you got off kilter with number six. Let us pray that no one else dreams that more people wearing Spandex in public is a desirable goal.

trackhub

That is excellent news indeed. I haven't tried one yet. I understand that although heavy, the bikes are well made, and fine for their intended purpose.
I have read that the program will be shut down for the winter, and the bikes will be stored. (Not another winter like the last. Holy u-know-what!)


You know, this was discussed at the last Illuminati meeting I attended. It was decided that white spandex would be appropriate.

lostarchitect 

SHHHHH! You know the Elders said we're not supposed to talk about you-know-what!

CB HI

Imagine that, a bike share program working even with a mandatory helmet law.

I-Like-To-Bike

Do these people also share the helmets? I'd rather not imagine that!

CB HI

Psst, just sarcasm to the helmet crowd that claim MHL have nothing to do with bike share programs failing. Boston does not have MHL, but do not tell the others, as they are sure to make a big deal of my post.

mconlonx

What the heck is wrong with you?!?

atbman

But that is the hidden cunning ILTB. IF no.6 takes place, it will demonstrate that the tipping point has been achieved, the UN will invade, Bob Mionske will be declared president for life, vehicular cycling will be perfectly normal as there will be very few motor vehicles on the road and the LAB police will reign supreme (they will, of course be in plain clothes, i.e. non spandex and, like the Spanish Inquisition, nobody will ever expect them [warning - cultural refence])

Heh (repeat ad infinitum)

mikeybikes

Bike sharing is awesome. Denver's system has been enjoying some great success. I like using it for when I'm heading out for an errand during a break at work. My bike is all the way in the basement. There's a B-Cycle station right outside my building's front door. I grab a B-Cycle and go. No worries about locking or anything as I just drop it off at another station.

It rocks. I see people on them all the time.

gcottay

Posting under the influence is much better than driving or cycling drunk.

Chris516

Not only that, what fits on one person, may not fit another.

Stubby

Trek sponsors the bike share program in Madison WI that started this spring. They have recently stated that they are above projections for bike share use. It's working even in a medium sized city.

Please, please, please, no spandex, or lycra, or clipless peddles.

CB HI

Because they are not real cyclist UNLESS they ride the way YOU do.

Stubby

So according to you folks are not a real bike user unless you do partake in spandex. Besides that it would be a bit difficult to use clipless on flats.

I don't know how it is where you are, but where I am the only people who use spandex (what some of us refer to as rubber shorts) are serious sports cyclist and racers. There are very few commuters that use that nonsense. Even a majority of the recreational riders don't use it on their weekend rides on the bike paths. It's rarely seen in the university area. There is few things as silly as a slightly overweight middle aged person straining the seams of a lycra uniform.

I-Like-To-Bike

Sure there are; skinny boys looking like (YOU NAME IT) prancing off their bikes in public, wearing Spandex tighties, Styrofoam Medusa hats and wrap around shades.

Stubby

The folks who use the bike share program where I am are thankfully a million miles away from the spandex crowd. I actually like the bikes. They are made by Trek with all the goodies that work well for urban commuters as in fenders, chain guard, coat guard, internal three speed, generator hubs with front and back lights, basket, sit up straight riding position. They are very nice. I would guess the rubber shorts crowd wouldn't be caught dead on one though they work very well for tooling around the downtown area of Madison.

buzzman

I have a friend who is taking time to live on his boat and travel up and down the East Coast. He says the cities with bike share programs are his favorites. He pulls his boat into a marina near a bike share location and then rides off and goes all over the city.

On my commute home tonight I was surprised to see so many of the bike share bikes on the bike path at night. They have built in light systems that run on a generator and the lights are bright and efficient.

CB HI

Boy that point just flew right over your head. It must be your hate for other cyclist that are not just like YOU.