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If sharing works for cars, why not bikes? Pittsburgh got membership-based car-sharing in 2007. Now Zipcar Pittsburgh has about 40 locations around town, helping people travel more efficiently. Doing the same with bicycles — putting them where people can rent them readily and affordably — would go even further toward saving money, saving time and reducing pollution.
Here’s how it works. Somebody buys a bunch of bikes and electronically locking stations — dozens or more stations around town — to store them. To rent a bike, swipe your credit card; the first half-hour is free, and a 24-hour rental might cost $5. When done, return the bike to any station.
And all the other kids are doing it. Popular since the 1990s in Europe, bike-shares are gaining momentum in North America, in towns like Denver, Washington, D.C., and even snowy Montreal.
The startup cost is steep. Nice Ride Minnesota, for instance, is a Minneapolis nonprofit that bought its 700 bikes and 100 stations with a $1.75 million federal grant and $1 million from corporate partner Blue Cross/Blue Shield (whose ads adorn the distinctive neon-green bikes). Some, but not all, bike-shares shut down for winter. And there are logistical challenges, like deploying staff and vehicles to restock empty stations.
But bike-shares have proved popular. Nice Ride Minnesota rented out 100,000 rides in its inaugural season, and regular users get annual subscriptions running $60, or $50 for students.
Fees and subscriptions largely cover costs, says Nice Ride chief Bill Dossett. Most bikes seem to be rented for transportation rather than recreation — running errands, making appointments, grabbing lunch. “You see more people wearing suits riding green bikes downtown, rather than dressed as bike messengers,” says Dossett. At least some of those bike rides are replacing car trips. And only two Nice Ride bikes have been lost or stolen.
Admittedly, Minneapolis is especially bike-friendly. Still, says city resident Jay Walljasper, a writer and biking advocate, “The beauty of this program is it brings more people into biking.”
Boston’s bike-share launches this spring; New York City and Toronto are studying the idea. Robert Hampshire, a Carnegie Mellon University assistant professor who studies bike-shares, thinks one could work in Pittsburgh. And Bike Pittsburgh executive director Scott Bricker calls bike-shares “absolutely the coolest thing ever.” In fact, in April, Bricker is bringing Wisconsin-based bike-share system-designer B-Cycle to Pittsburgh, to try selling local officials on the concept.
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2011.
This is an excellent idea! I was in DC over the holiday and rented bikes from the Capital Bikeshare several times and it made getting around the city so much easier, faster, and convenient. I put in my credit card at the station and paid $5 for 24 hours of access and rode away on a bike two minutes later.
Each 30 minutes is free and during the 24 hours, I managed to take 5 different trips. The stations are EVERYWHERE so you can ride to nearly every station within the 30 minutes, drop it off, and pick one up again when you’re ready to leave.
If I hadn’t already lived in DC for 8 years, the bike-sharing system would make me seriously consider moving there. With 100 stations across the city, the easy accessibility makes bicycling a viable transportation option even for those who don’t own bikes or hadn’t considered riding for errands or to get around.
A bike-sharing system would do wonders for Pittsburgh and I think that we should invest in this transformative program.
I used a bike share in Denver, and loved it! Denver may have a similar model to Minneapolis (?), but it might be worth checking out. I am impressed with the infrastructural and leadership changes related to bikes that are going on in Pittsburgh in the past few years. Way to go Pittsburgh! I hope the bike sharing gains support from leadership,funders and the populace alike!
I too agree this is a fantastic idea. I’ve used the bike share programs in Minneapolis as well as Capital Bikeshare in Washington D.C. I think the best way to sell it to the city is to market it as increased revitalization to other areas of the city.
If you work downtown and want to grab lunch in the South Side or Station Square it’d be a quick bike ride over. If you want to eat on the North Shore it’s a quick ride.
Now the hills in Oakland, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill might make a bikeshare in those areas more difficult, but downtown, the southside and the northside should easy to connect!