Do you think the new Bike Transit system will work? (Cincinnati: 2013, apartment) - Ohio (OH) - City-Data Forum

soundofsilence82 · 08-12-2014, 11:49 PM

I'm really skeptical about this. I had heard of it today, and I think it's a bad idea.

I suppose it's a way for Cincinnati to become more green, but how is one supposed to travel from point A to point B in 30 mins, in order to turn in their current bike and get a new one? It would be easier to drive or take the bus...plus, a lot cheaper.

Anybody think this is a good idea?

WILWRadio · 08-13-2014, 05:33 AM

The best way to make Cincinnati green is to plant more trees.

goyguy · 08-13-2014, 06:00 AM

This sounds like what's called "Hubway" in Boston, and what has the Citi logo all over it in New York. I thought it was a stupid concept destined to fail. But whaddaya know - there are two "stations" in my neighborhood with about 20 bicycles racked at each one, and they are consistently almost empty. In NYC they can't keep up with the demand.

But the East Coast cities have few significantly hilly areas, lots of walk-up apartment buildings, and high theft rates. And parking spaces are scarce, typically not free. So that makes a bike-share system appealing. I can't quite wrap my head around many people wanting to pay rental on a two-wheeler to take them from, say, 12th & Vine to UC or from downtown to Mt Adams. There might be some localized success within CUF or the CBD, however.

Señor Slick · 08-13-2014, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soundofsilence82

I'm really skeptical about this. I had heard of it today, and I think it's a bad idea.

I suppose it's a way for Cincinnati to become more green, but how is one supposed to travel from point A to point B in 30 mins, in order to turn in their current bike and get a new one? It would be easier to drive or take the bus...plus, a lot cheaper.

Anybody think this is a good idea?

I'm not sure if this will work in Cincy but it is definitely worth trying. I'm also not sure if taking a bus is easier and cheaper but regarding driving....it may seem easier but you would still more than likely have to pay to park.....and owning a car definitely is not cheap.

progmac · 08-13-2014, 06:20 AM

i saw the new station at fountain square yesterday. it was completely empty. i'm not sure if that's because all the bikes were checked out or because they have installed the station but not brought in the bikes yet.

More info: http://www.urbancincy.com/tag/cincy-bike-share/

CarryOn · 08-13-2014, 07:27 AM

I like that they're trying it. I don't know what the pricing will be yet, and that'll influence pricing. I plan on renting one and giving it a spin at least once. I'm not pedaling up Mt Adams, though.

zabler812 · 08-13-2014, 08:29 AM

I too like the fact that they are trying it but not certain if it will be a success.. I just relocated from the Chicago area and they have the same thing in the city, but in Chicago you have trains and subways filled with people from the suburbs going to their place of work in the city (many people still have a good trek to work once they get off the trains), as well as many nearby neighborhood folks that use these bikes to get to their jobs. It is also supposed to be for tourist who want to travel the city and site see, which I've seen many people do. I don't know what percentage is tourist vs workers, but even with all the traffic in Chicago I do believe the program experienced a loss in 2013.

progmac · 08-13-2014, 08:45 AM

I wonder if their is an expectation that the system will "make money" in simple terms. In terms of economic impact, I would imagine the effects are substantial. Right now tourists and most downtown workers are relegated to about 5 blocks around fountain square. Increasing their range to the entire basin seems like it would have significant economic impact.

t45209 · 08-13-2014, 09:10 AM

I tried this one time when I was in South Beach, Florida. Personally, I found it to be a bit pricey. I think my wife and I spent around $25-$30 to have two bikes for about 3 hours. And believe me, the bikes were built for durability, not comfort and performance. My wife is avid cyclist and found her bike very hard to maneuver. I also found it frustrating that some stations were so popular that there was no place left to return your bike. You either had to wait for someone to clear a space, or move on to the next one that was less convenient.

But, they were very popular. People were riding the bikes everywhere. If you are familiar with South Beach at all, you probably know that one of the main streets is closed to traffic and is now a pedestrian mall that is several blocks long, sort of like you find in European cities. The bikes were heavily used on that mall.

kjbrill · 08-13-2014, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soundofsilence82

I'm really skeptical about this. I had heard of it today, and I think it's a bad idea.

I suppose it's a way for Cincinnati to become more green, but how is one supposed to travel from point A to point B in 30 mins, in order to turn in their current bike and get a new one? It would be easier to drive or take the bus...plus, a lot cheaper.

Anybody think this is a good idea?

In a nutshell - NOPE!

First of all if they are going to have someone keep the bikes under repair and in good working order they will have to charge too much for them.

Second of all the first time I was coming home from work and got caught in a deluge that would be the end of that.

If it is intended to be used by tourists then the location of the stations should reflect that. I haven't seen a station map yet but what I read talks about commuters. Tourists - Yes, Commuters - No.

Another question, where will these stations be located relative to the streetcar? If they are concurrent or parallel routes that is stupid, no make that asinine.