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Citibikes have started!

Old 07-22-13, 01:46 PM
  #76  
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I think "they" as well as I, underestimated it's usefulness and popularity.
Not knowing anything about bike sharing, I thought it would be a complete flop. But I've heard so many stories about how many different ways people have utilized it.
From well dressed people heading from client to client to the guy who needs to pick up the business van before he gets to the office.
Another reason I see it being popular is because so many people, including me, would like to bike from location to location but had nowhere to safely leave their bike.
That no longer is a problem when you are docking a bike at each stop.
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Old 07-22-13, 04:17 PM
  #77  
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Originally Posted by FrankieV
I think "they" as well as I, underestimated it's usefulness and popularity.
Not knowing anything about bike sharing, I thought it would be a complete flop. But I've heard so many stories about how many different ways people have utilized it.
From well dressed people heading from client to client to the guy who needs to pick up the business van before he gets to the office.
Another reason I see it being popular is because so many people, including me, would like to bike from location to location but had nowhere to safely leave their bike.
That no longer is a problem when you are docking a bike at each stop.
In that case, the sky is almost the limit: they could expand repeatedly and capacity still won't meet demand. To me, this is a good thing.
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Old 07-22-13, 05:43 PM
  #78  
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I would use it even more than I do if it weren't so hot. I would use it to go everywhere in Manhattan, but I'd be soaked when I got there.
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Old 07-23-13, 07:30 AM
  #79  
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[QUOTE=FrankieV;15876726Another reason I see it being popular is because so many people, including me, would like to bike from location to location but had nowhere to safely leave their bike.
That no longer is a problem when you are docking a bike at each stop.[/QUOTE]

A co-worker and his spouse are getting the annual pass for this very reason. They ride a bit on some nice roadbikes that they are afraid to leave anywhere. Looks like it might definitely exceed expectations. Over 1,600,000 rides system wide since launch. Pretty impressive.
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Old 07-23-13, 07:36 AM
  #80  
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Originally Posted by zacster
I would use it even more than I do if it weren't so hot. I would use it to go everywhere in Manhattan, but I'd be soaked when I got there.
Just go at a slower speed. In between walking and the bus that seems to stop at every intersection.
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Old 07-23-13, 08:13 AM
  #81  
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Took my first ride on citibike today. Picked it up on 39th and 9th ave and rode to my office on 51st and Broadway. Bike felt very solid. No issues undocking or docking. The gears are not the best, but I guess they have to make it work for a wide population, so cannot complain. All in all, it worked great. So many docks and I like it because I have several buildings I have to travel to for my job from time to time, and there are docks right next to all of them. Very convenient. I got the 24 hour pass just to try it, so I will ride back to the port authority again this afternoon. I might even think about buying the yearly pass.

Regards,

JT
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Old 07-23-13, 10:32 AM
  #82  
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1.6M rides already? That's mind-blowing.
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Old 07-23-13, 11:32 AM
  #83  
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Originally Posted by flattie
I'm not aware of any mass transit option that doesn't lose money FWIW.
Including roads and highways. If people had to pay directly the full cost of driving many, would likely change their habits. For example, the federal gas tax only covers about 1/3 of federal highway spending. The rest comes from the general fund, i.e., your pay check. The next time you are in your car and you see someone riding a bike instead, thank them for not increasing the cost of driving by inflicting wear on the road.
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Old 07-23-13, 11:33 AM
  #84  
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Originally Posted by noglider
1.6M rides already? That's mind-blowing.
It's definitely inflated a bit. I'd discount that by somewhere around 10 to 20% to account for docking/undocking/redocking.

For example, I've occasionally failed to get a green light indicating a sucessful return/docking. The orange light goes on then nothing with no green to indicate the bike was returned successfully. So I've used my key to unlock and attempt to redock the bike in order to get the green light. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 tries. Each time shows up as a "ride" in my trip library.

But still - pretty impressive numbers so far. They periodically have updated info here

https://www.citibikenyc.com/system-data

but there seems to be an issue right now - or at least I can't get the page to load from my browser.
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Old 07-28-13, 11:12 AM
  #85  
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DSCF0821 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr


DSCF0818 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

NEW RESTRICTIONS ON ONBOARD BIKES- TAKE NOTE!

This is something new. I don't recall any weekend restrictions before. I am really glad I have the $95.00 key to unlock a Citibike, it just isn't practical to bring my own bike anymore.

DSCF0742 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

Taking the Lane...


DSCF0726 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr


DSCF0724 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr


DSCF0721 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

Tried to get the exact dimensions of the Front Rack of the Citibike. I would say it 14 inches wide, by ten inches high, by 4 inches deep. But since there are no real "sides" , stuff can stick out wider than 14 inches, like a briefcase. It seems I didn't have the frame centered properly. I will have to go back and shoot these photos again. I only had one hand free with the camera , and the tape-measure.
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Old 08-15-13, 07:36 AM
  #86  
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NY Times article (15 Aug 2013) on efforts to re-balance Citibike inventory between empty and full stations.
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Old 08-15-13, 12:20 PM
  #87  
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Monday, 12 August I rode a Citibike from 31st and 8th, up to 97th and Park ave. I returned the bike at 49th and Broadway... and it was taken by a person who was waiting for a Citibike, the only four bikes there were out-of-order.

So I then had to Walk back from 49th and Broadway to Penn station, where, luckily , the 6:16 was waiting to take me back to my hometown on Long Island... a single seat ride , without changing trains:

DSCF0933 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr


A shot of the Trump Tower
DSCF0910 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr



DSCF0915 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
Time Square.

That's my ride report , for 12 AUG 2013.
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Old 08-15-13, 02:09 PM
  #88  
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Originally Posted by hotbike
Monday, 12 August I rode a Citibike from 31st and 8th, up to 97th and Park ave. I returned the bike at 49th and Broadway... and it was taken by a person who was waiting for a Citibike, the only four bikes there were out-of-order.

So I then had to Walk back from 49th and Broadway to Penn station,
From the map it seems there are 2 other stations 2 blocks from there, which you may not have been aware of. This brings up my concern again that it's hard to spot a station that may be only 1 or 2 blocks from where you are. I strongly suggest them to post the complete map of all stations at each station (like what is done at bus stops). At least post the addresses of nearby stations.
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Old 08-15-13, 05:41 PM
  #89  
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I finally spotted a rebalancing van today,if that's what you call it.
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Old 08-15-13, 06:10 PM
  #90  
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Originally Posted by vol
From the map it seems there are 2 other stations 2 blocks from there, which you may not have been aware of. This brings up my concern again that it's hard to spot a station that may be only 1 or 2 blocks from where you are. I strongly suggest them to post the complete map of all stations at each station (like what is done at bus stops). At least post the addresses of nearby stations.
That doesn't mean there were bikes at those stations either. What I find is that at rush hour there are never any bikes around midtown. Mid-day you can find them.
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Old 08-15-13, 09:05 PM
  #91  
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Originally Posted by zacster
That doesn't mean there were bikes at those stations either. What I find is that at rush hour there are never any bikes around midtown. Mid-day you can find them.
I work at 50th and Broadway. The bike stations on Broadway are always empty, especially at night. I think office people take them to their various commute points, and they stay there till the morning rush.
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Old 08-15-13, 09:16 PM
  #92  
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In this photo https://assets.nydailynews.com/polopo...nk-robbery.jpg

Is it just me, or is her helmet on backwards?


Source: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...icle-1.1374368
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Old 08-15-13, 09:23 PM
  #93  
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It's on backwards. That's fairly common, as is wearing it forwards and too far back on the head.
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Old 08-16-13, 04:42 AM
  #94  
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Originally Posted by Pug
NY Times article (15 Aug 2013) on efforts to re-balance Citibike inventory between empty and full stations.
I went out and bought a copy of the 15AUg2013 New York Times. Thanks for the heads-up .

(I was over my limit of ten free NY Times articles "online", per month.)
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Old 08-17-13, 09:32 AM
  #95  
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[h=1]Got an Email update from Citibike. I had to buy the print version of the NY Times, on account the copyright law . But this is a public notice, so I guess it's alright :


Bike Share Balance[/h]
Successful bike share systems around the world face a ubiquitous challenge-- finding a good balance between available bikes and available docking points and maintaining this balance throughout the day. In New York City, as
New York Times writes about this week
, these challenges are compounded by the fact that New Yorkers have non-traditional work schedules and multiple transit and commercial hubs.
Now, less than three months post-launch, we are still learning about travel patterns of Citi Bike riders but a few trends are immediately clear. Stations near transit hubs empty out quickly in the morning and fill up quickly in the evenings. Stations empty out early in the East Village but demand remains high till late in the morning; then at night the stations are jammed full. Stations on the far west side seem to be in high demand all day long.

We have teams of “rebalancers” on-duty 24-hours a day to try to keep the system in balance, and they’ve recently adopted some new strategies to adapt to these patterns.

We’ve started stockpiling bikes during late night hours in a space near Penn Station which allows our rebalancers to re-stock the stations nearby multiple times during the morning rush and free up space during the evening rush.

We have a new space on the Lower East Side that allows us to stage bikes overnight and keep the East Village better stocked during that long morning commuting peak.

And we have a new space at Pier 40 that serves as a staging ground for bikes going to stations on the far west side. We’ve found it’s far easier to run rebalancing routes north-south than to contend with crosstown traffic.

We’re also experimenting with adding four bike trailers to our rebalancing fleet. Each trailer will be able to haul three bikes at a time. We will monitor and evaluate whether this makes it easier to move the bikes through traffic.

On some of our busiest days we’re seeing over 40,000 trips, which means that each Citi Bike bikes is used on average over 7 times per day. That’s more than any other system in the world. Keeping a system this large and busy in balance is a constant challenge and one we’ll be continually working to meet.

See photos of our rebalancing efforts here and here.
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Old 08-17-13, 09:43 AM
  #96  
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Why don't they just drive the rebalancing trucks around as mobile stations? (Let's hope no accident ever happens where a Citibike rebalancing truck hits a cyclist...)

Today I saw a new Citi bike station on 72nd street and Park Avenue. Looks like they have expanded it to the Upper East Side.

P.S. What is the function of the "hood" that covers the upper half of the rear wheel? Is it just a more protective fender? I thought it's just for the logo, but I saw someone riding a regular hybrid bike today that has a similar cover.

Last edited by vol; 08-17-13 at 10:08 AM.
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Old 08-17-13, 02:36 PM
  #97  
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Doesn't it serve as a fender, aka mudguard?
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Old 08-17-13, 03:13 PM
  #98  
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Getting better at rebalancing
Would help if a cop would enforce traffic laws though
No parking in bike lanes
No turns from middle of Avenue(s)
Buses staying in bus lane
Riding to work in morning is decent
Riding home in rush hour is terrible until get below 42nd Street on either 5th or 7th
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Old 08-18-13, 09:43 AM
  #99  
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Originally Posted by vol
Why don't they just drive the rebalancing trucks around as mobile stations? (Let's hope no accident ever happens where a Citibike rebalancing truck hits a cyclist...)

Today I saw a new Citi bike station on 72nd street and Park Avenue. Looks like they have expanded it to the Upper East Side.

P.S. What is the function of the "hood" that covers the upper half of the rear wheel? Is it just a more protective fender? I thought it's just for the logo, but I saw someone riding a regular hybrid bike today that has a similar cover.
I hadn't heard of any stations above 60th street. 72nd and Park is a good location.

I went south on Park last Monday, and I would have welcomed a chance to return the bike and avoid a $2.50 charge ($2.72 with tax).

The Citibike has a Fenderskirt , on the sides of the rear fender. It keeps the ladies skirts out of the spokes, since people ride these bikes in their street clothes.
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Old 08-18-13, 09:47 AM
  #100  
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...s-streets.html

I think we need to use the latest Japanese technology, Underground Bicycle Parking.
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