Bike Share Programs

 

Bike Share / Hire Programs

There are various bike hire schemes being developed around the world as sustainable transport options that compliment public transport and walking throughout urban areas.  Here are a series of films that show how the various schemes have been adopted by various cities.

 

  • Encouraging community cycling and physical activity: a user survey of a community Bicycle Loan Scheme
    Miskell S, Xu W, Rissel C. (Research Letter) Health Promotion Journal of Australia 2010; 21(2): 153-154.
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  • On your bike: public hire scheme hits CBD
    CLAY LUCAS, 31 May 2010, The Age
    Melbourne's first ever public bike hire scheme is underway with the roll-out of the first 100 bicycles - although the government will not say how many people are expected to use the scheme.
    The distinctive electric-blue bicycles will be available at 10 docking stations across the CBD. Subscribers will be able to join the scheme for $50 a year, $8 a week or $2.50 a day. Users will then be able to take the bicycles for 30 minutes without charge.
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  • Power to the Pedals
    Gary Gardner, July 2010, Worldwatch Institute
    After decades of trial and error, the ingredients for robust urban cycling cultures are becoming clear.by Gary Gardner Early this decade, Parisian city planners grappling with traffic congestion, air pollution, and other challenges ventured outside the box. They were well aware that traditional transportation remedies such as widened roads and expanded parking typically relieve congestion in the short term but seed even greater longterm crowding while worsening pollution and carbon emissions. So they decided to use bicycles—some 20,000 of them, scattered across the city at metro stops and other convenient locations—to extend the reach of the Paris public transport system and to provide inexpensive, healthy transportation for short trips. Not your father’s transit plan, to be sure, but Paris’s public bike initiative symbolizes the new respect bicycles are getting in a growing number of municipal governments worldwide. Visit Site
  • The Role of Smart Bike-sharing Systems in Urban Mobility
    MIDGLEY, P. (2009)  global Transport Knowledge Partnership (gTKP) via Journeys, May 2009 pp.23-31
    Following the success of the smart bike-sharing system in Paris, these systems are rapidly being introduced in European cities for daily mobility. The basic premise of the smart bike-sharing concept is sustainable transportation. Such systems often operate as part of the city’s public transport system. They provide fast and easy access, have diverse business models and make use of applied technology (smart cards and/or mobile phones). Bike-sharing systems are currently operating in 78 cities in 16 countries using around 70,000 bikes. This paper reviews the state of the art of bike-sharing systems, drawing on experiences in selected European cities.
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  • The Bike-sharing Blog
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    The Bike-sharing Blog provides information on the emerging public transportation mode of bike-sharing. The Blog is provided by MetroBike, LLC , based in Washington, D.C., USA.
    World map showing all the locatiuons of bike share programs - Visit Site
  • Cykel: A Plug-in Electric Bike Sharing Concept
    Jerry James Stone, 15 June 2009, US: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation
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    Cykel is a plug-in electric bike sharing system designed for a wide range of users and topographies. The concept was inspired by the popular bike share programs found throughout Europe.

 

Australian Bike Share Schemes

  • Melbourne a step closer to city bike hire scheme
    CLAY LUCAS, 17 March 2010, The Age
    A CITY bike hire scheme for Melbourne is closer to being launched, after Roads Minister Tim Pallas this morning announced the location of the first 10 docking stations, to open on May 31.
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New Zealand Bike Share Schemes

  • New Zealand Green Bike Trust
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    The New Zealand Green Bike Trust was formed in 2002 to trial various cycling initiatives for residents, community organisations and visitors in Porirua.

 

North America Bike Share Schemes

  • Toronto To Get Bixi Bike System; Will It Get Strangled At Birth?
    Lloyd Alter, 13 August 2010, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Like American cities, Toronto is taxed-starved to the point that a couple of years ago it couldn't find $75K to save its community yellow bike system. But its gotta be, as a former mayor used to say, "World Class", so if Paris and London and Montreal have bike share systems, so does Toronto. It is bringing Montreal's Bixi system to town, or a small portion thereof. Since Toronto can't even pay for civic amenities like garbage cans and bus shelters, let alone bike share systems, it will be sponsored, in this case by the Dutch bank ING, because of course, the Dutch know bikes.
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  • Can GPS Slash Costs of Bike Sharing Schemes? (Video)
    Sami Grover, 11 August 2010, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Whether we are talking about grassroots "peer2peer" bike rental, or multi-million dollar public bike share schemes, there's no doubt that these initiatives are revolutionizing the way we think about mobility in many cities. But managing access to bikes can be an expensive headache. Luckily, the rise of mobile computing is helping out here too. One proposed scheme is looking to take wireless-enhanced social bike sharing to the next level—slashing the per-bike costs of setting up schemes like these by allowing use of 'normal' bicycles instead of purpose-built machines.
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  • Sobi: Bike Sharing That May Be Smarter Than Velib or Bixi
    Lloyd Alter, 11 August 2010, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Sobi (Social Bicycle System) is a simpler system. CrunchGear explains that it is based on smart phone technology; instead of being attached to a fixed stand, it relies on GPS and mobile communications, and a big, secure lock that can attach to any bike rack, or any bike for that matter.
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  • Bike Share: A slice of Paris in Chicago
    Mary Schmich, 30 July 2010, Chicago Tribune
    It's not every day that you can stroll down a Chicago sidewalk and think you've been magically zapped to Paris.
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  • Biz Students See Ripe Market for Bike-Share in NYC
    Noah Kazis, 10 February 2010, StreetsBlog - New York
    With bike-share systems launching in three major American cities this year, the question naturally arises: Does New York have an appetite for bike-sharing?
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  • Montreal vs. DC in bike sharing...
    Richard Layman, 22 September 2009, Urban Paces and Spaces Blog
    The city's new short-term bicycle rental service, Bixi, has attracted 10,000 members and 98,000 casual users since it hit the streets last May.
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  • Ottawa, London and Boston to Use Canadian Bixi System for Bicycle Rentals
    Bonnie Alter, 13 August 2009, UK: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    TreeHuggers from all over Canada are sending us photos of their local Bixi bicycle rental system. We've had a man-on-the-street report from Montreal, and now one from Canada's capital city, Ottawa.
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  • Montreal Canada's Bike Share Program Bixi
    BikesharePhilly (21 October 2008) - (2:44 mins video)
    Bixi is available mid April to Mid November throughout Montreal.
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  • Vancouver's bikeways are expanding to meet demand. This network of safe routes are fast becoming an integral part of our transportation system. Learn about new road markings such as sharrows and bike boxes and how they help cyclists and motorists by encouraging predictable, clear positioning on the road
  • D.C. Launches Bike-Sharing Program
    Press, E. (2008) " StreetFilms, (3.23 mins video)
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    Last week the first North American public bike-share program debuted in Washington D.C. With 120 bikes at 10 self-service racks, SmartBike DC officially launched. This week the Streetfilms team took it for a spin.
  • Bike Share on Governors Island
    Press, E. (2008) StreetFilms (2:35 mins video)
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    Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC), Transportation Alternatives and Bike and Roll have joined forces to create what they are calling New York City's first sustained bike share program.
  • How Bike Share Might Be?
     Press, E. (2008) StreetFilms, (3:35 mins video)
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    The NYC DOT  says it will test the bike sharing waters. And yesterday, the New York Bike-Share Project launched a five day bike share demonstration.
  • US Gets Another Bike Sharing Program: Denver Launches Pilot Run
    Merchant, B. (2009) TreeHugger.com - Cars & Transportation
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  • Bike-Share Opportunities in New York City
    NYC Dept. City Planning (Spring 2009) Complete document (7.8 Mb) View PDF

    or go to the website where various sections of the document can be downloaded Visit Site

    The document analyzes existing bike-share models and current New York City bicyclist demographics and demand to assess the potential for a New York City Bike-Share Program.  In addition, an overview of potential funding options and recommendations for program implementation, including suggested program size and phasing, bike-station siting, fees, safety and theft reduction, are also discussed.
  • USA and Canadian locations for bike rentals by location
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    RentaBikeNow, a site that lets you research the rental bikes available in 157 locations across the U.S. and Canada with information on rates, routes and accessories like racks and helmets. The service enables users to reserve bikes online in advance and easily incorporate them into their travel plans, though we imagine this will be just as useful to locals eager to get a new perspective on their own cities.

 

Central and South American Bike Share Schemes

  • Ecobici: Official Bike Sharing Program Launched in Mexico City
    Paula Alvarado, 23 February 2010, Argentina: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Although the city already had a private bike-sharing program, the government of the Mexican capital has recently launched the official Ecobici. The initial phase includes 85 stations across the city and over 1,000 bikes. More inside.
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  • Largest Year-round Service Opens in México City
    15 February 2010, The Bike-sharing Blog
    Mayor Marcelo Ebrard of Mexico City will launch "The System of Individual Transportation," Ecobici, the largest year-round bike-sharing system in North America, with over 1,100 bikes and 82 stations. The Federal District of Mexico City will hold the coveted title of the largest system in the western hemisphere until Montréal wakes up from its winter hibernation in May.
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  • City to Build New Bike Paths and Get Public Bike-Sharing
    Paula Alvarado, 30 December 2009, Argentina : TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Authorities from Mexico have announced that the city is finally getting the new bike paths that had been delayed due to lack of funds and that February could be the month they launch the public bike-sharing system.
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United Kingdom Bike Share Schemes

  • Augmented Reality iPhone App Points You to Every Nearby London Bike-Share Hub Nearby
    Jaymi Heimbuch, 13 August 2010, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Might augmented reality on smart phones bring a whole new interest in using public transportation? Well... it is really, really darn cool. Anyone who feels intimidated or frustrated by navigating a transportation system like the Tube in London, or subway and bus systems in any metropolitan area, could find confidence in augmented reality on smart phones. AR is becoming more common, and it was just added to the TFL-licenced London Tube app. Thanks to AR, the new app can help people not only find everything from bus stops and Tube stations, but also be visually guided to any London Cycle Hire Docking station within a 1 km radius, making traveling by bike -- by bike-share system specifically -- that much easier.
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  • Can Peer2Peer Rental Challenge London's New Bike Share Scheme?
    Sami Grover, 5 August 2010, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    London's new bike rental scheme, like Paris' velib scheme before it, may be a huge hit. But there's a young upstart on the block that is looking to offer an alternative to these large-scale schemes—and it says it can make ordinary bike owners some money in the process.
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  • London's New Bicycle Rental Has Canadian Content
    Bonnie Alter, 30 July 2010, UK: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Today is the big day: London's new bicycle rental system is being launched. Called Barclays Cycle Hire, after the bank which is a corporate sponsor to the tune of £25M, the system is high in Canadian content.
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  • London and Paris: a tale of two bike-hire schemes
    Leo Hickman The Guardian, Tuesday 20 July 2010 Article history
    London's much-vaunted bike-hire scheme launches next week. Parisians love their Vélib' scheme – but will Londoners take to their new bikes so fondly?
    It's not the best of starts. I've only been in the saddle of this new bicycle – the centrepiece of London's cycle hire system, set to launch on 30 July – for two minutes and I'm already being flagged down by a policeman. What have I done wrong, I wonder nervously. Did I cut across someone when changing lanes on the approach to Westminster Bridge? Should I be wearing a helmet? It's been three decades since I passed my cycling proficiency test, and there's been very little serious cycling in between.
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  • London to get public bicycle hire scheme
    1 April 2010, SMH.com.au - Traveller
    London will catch up with cities including Shanghai, Paris and Washington in July when it introduces its first easy-access bicycle hire scheme, the mayor announced yesterday.
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  • Sneak Preview of London's Bike Rental Scheme
    Bonnie Alter, 15 December 2009, UK : TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Finally London is getting a bike rental scheme, along with Paris, Montreal, Barcelona and many others. It will be up and ready next summer, but new details of the programme are being announced and bike docking stations are already being installed throughout central London.
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  • Mayor Unveils Hire Bike Scheme for London
    Charlton, R. (11 February 2008)  (4:53 mins video)
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    Rebecca Charlton speaks to Ken Livingstone about the initiative he says will "transform cycling" in London. Visit Visit Site for all the best race highlights and live action.
  • An Irish Vélib and More Spanish Bicis
    April Streeter,  18 September 2009, Sweden: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    Just as fall falls and not a moment too soon, Dubliners finally have their incredibly long-awaited bike sharing program from JCDecaux, mastermind outdoor board company behind Paris' successful Vélib program.
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    See the video (0.43 sec) Visit Site

 

European Bike Share Schemes

  • Bike Sharing, the Next Generation - It Floats, It Flashes, It Practically Follows You
    April Streeter, 16 December 2009, Sweden : TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
    What does it take to design an urban bike sharing system for a city like Copenhagen, where the bikes outnumber the inner-city residents? That's the question TreeHugger asked Michael Koucky, who along with LOTS and Green idea Factory of Berlin designed OPENbike, one of the two winning entries in Copenhagen's recent competition to come up with a bike share to be put in place by 2013. In Copenhagen's case, Koucky said, the bike system needs to take full advantage of existing technology such as GPS and RFID, the bikes themselves must be strong and eye-pleasing, and as important, they must offer residents and visitors alike something they might not yet have: cargo capability. Read on for more winning entries and Koucky's take on bike sharing's future.
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  • Vélo Liberté - Parisian Bike Culture
    Mikael (15 May 2008), Zakkamedia (3:04 mins video)
    Riding through Paris utilising the new Velib Bike Hire Scheme
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  • Velib Cycles in Paris
    • Gutman, M. (7 August 2007) (10:04 mins video)
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    • (22 October 2007) "Bicycle Freedom" (2:47 mins video)
      News story on the growth of bike hire schemes
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  • Bike Ride through Seville
    (17 March 2008) (2:55 mins video)
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  • World's Worst Bike Share Programme
    Mikael, 02 October 2009, Copenhagenize
    There is a lot of talk about which bike share programme is the best - Bixi, Vébib, Velov, Bicing, etc - but what about the worst?
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