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$1050 is high for a bicycle. They look like cheap city bikes. Regardless, there should be a way to track who took a bike last, but the system must rely on the population having social decency. I guess we'll find out soon.
NYCHA (housing project) residents get a discount, $60 / year.
Well, I'm glad everybody else likes it. I say "2 hours" because that's the typical transfer time for a bus or subway ride. It's the pay structure that I really dislike. I much prefer a pay-per-use model instead of a fixed-fee membership.
I'll probably opt for a folding bike before I'd join. But if they restructure so it meshes with the regular transit system pay-to-ride, I'd be more likely to use it.
The price is $103 / year doesn't seem too pricey for extra flexibility. One issue with bikes (or any personal transportation) is you have to go back to where you left your vehicles. With a bikeshare you could leave your bike wherever you go. For example, say you live in Brooklyn and want to visit your friend in another Brooklyn neighborhood (where transit might be somewhat clumsy) and then go to Manhattan. You could use a bike rental to get to his place, drop off the rented bike at the closest station and then take a subway together to Manhattan. No worries about going back to grab your bike (or similarly, car) or parking and theft worries.
If it works the way I think it does, I'd probably sign up if I lived in NYC. It solves the transit is good for center city trips but often clumsy for neighborhood to neighborhood trips problem.
If it works how you explained, that sounds awesome.
Well, I'm glad everybody else likes it. I say "2 hours" because that's the typical transfer time for a bus or subway ride. It's the pay structure that I really dislike. I much prefer a pay-per-use model instead of a fixed-fee membership.
I'll probably opt for a folding bike before I'd join. But if they restructure so it meshes with the regular transit system pay-to-ride, I'd be more likely to use it.
its specifically designed to not compete with traditional bike rentals (which would be unfair given use of public sidewalk space, and in DC, public funds). If you want a 2 hour ride, without an annual fee, there are private bike rental options.
The fixed fee works with the quick, free, short distance rides - which meshes well with the abundant distribution of stations.
$1050 is high for a bicycle. They look like cheap city bikes. Regardless, there should be a way to track who took a bike last, but the system must rely on the population having social decency. I guess we'll find out soon.
NYCHA (housing project) residents get a discount, $60 / year.
In Denver they use a very high tech bike with a GPS device. So if stolen they can find them.
When you check out a bike, you are responsible for theft until you return it.
They are mostly used station to station and not likely to be stolen when you are riding.
The seats, handlebars, racks etc are attached by special bolts to reduce theft.
They are also heavy singlespeeds with bombproof tires so unlikely to get a flat.
It would be difficult to sell these bikes if stolen and the parts are not interchangable with any other bikes.
Vandalism is another issue but so far not a big deal in Denver.
The economics don't work for me, but maybe they would if I had a different lifestyle and lived in Manhattan. If I were to use it now, I would commute from home to the train station via bicycle, then take the train to near work, then ride to work.
Let's pretend there are bicycle share racks near my home, both stations, and work (there aren't). Let's also pretend I can't take my bike on the train (I can; because it's a reverse commute so off-peak hours). Even with all these factors going for it, I would--instead--buy two bicycles, keeping one for the home-station route, and one for the station-work route. The cost would be the same or less than 2 years worth of ride-share club's fees, and I end up with 2 bicycles.
Now, if you let me tap my metrocard into the bikeshare, then transfer to the train, then tap into the other bikeshare as part of this transfer (as if it were a real part of the metro system), I would certainly use it all the time!
The economics don't work for me, but maybe they would if I had a different lifestyle and lived in Manhattan. If I were to use it now, I would commute from home to the train station via bicycle, then take the train to near work, then ride to work.
Let's pretend there are bicycle share racks near my home, both stations, and work (there aren't). Let's also pretend I can't take my bike on the train (I can; because it's a reverse commute so off-peak hours). Even with all these factors going for it, I would--instead--buy two bicycles, keeping one for the home-station route, and one for the station-work route. The cost would be the same or less than 2 years worth of ride-share club's fees, and I end up with 2 bicycles.
1. how does the reverse commute thing work? Here in DC, its simply no bikes allowed on metro from I guess 6 AM or so to 7PM. They dont distinguish which direction you are going in. Do they in NYC?
2. yeah, the alternative is keeping a bike at the work end - and locking overnight at the subway station. First, for $75 bucks a year (in DC) , you're talking a bike thats probably not as reliable as a bike share bike - they may not be elite bikes but they are at least very sturdy from what I understand - and with bikeshare you dont have to deal with maintenance. Plus they come with lights. And you dont have to bother with a lock. Second, locking overnight by a metro is kinda dicey in some places. Plus, you also get the use of a bike on impulse, when you go somewhere OTHER than the metro station near where you work. Oh, and if the weather is bad, and you choose to walk or bus to the metro instead, you dont have to worry about repositioning your bike.
1. how does the reverse commute thing work? Here in DC, its simply no bikes allowed on metro from I guess 6 AM or so to 7PM. They dont distinguish which direction you are going in. Do they in NYC?
Bikes are allowed at all times on the NYC subway. Though putting a bike on a peak direction subway train will irritate your fellow riders and just difficult to find room. I rode my bike on a Queens subway train (7) reverse direction 8:30 AM (LIC to Woodside) and it was fine.
The only reason one would want to put a rented bike on a train is if both the starting point and end point is far from a subway. I don't think there will be much demand for that.
Speaking of subway stations, one popular use I can imagine is for those who live a long walk from any subway station, assuming there's a bike share station near their home (Greenpoint and Red Hook are two areas I'm thinking of). One problem I envision is certain bike stations will be popular one way than the other (everyone takes a bike from one station and returns it to another, leaving one bike station full and another empty). Though perhaps it would fix itself in the evening?
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