If you haven’t heard, Denver launched their B-Cycle Bicycle Sharing program last week, on Earth Day. They have about 400 bicycles at 40 stations around the city. It would be great to get something like that down this way, right?
Turns out South Florida is not far behind. This morning a selection commitee met to rank companies to implement a bicycle sharing program for Broward County. B-Cycle, a partnership between Trek Bicycles and Humana, got the top ranking. Their proposal is to provide at least 200 bicycles with 18 stations in downtowns, beaches, and transit hubs in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood Beach, and Pompano Beach areas. The system could grow to potentially 575 bicycles with 52 stations in five years. The contract still needs to be negotiated and approved, but this project is exciting for the future of bicycling in this area. B-Cycle hopes to get a system installed within six months of signing a contract, so if we keep our fingers crossed we might have a bicycle sharing program in place by the end of this year. Hit up the gallery for B-Cycle’s renderings of potential bicycle sharing at key locations.
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As you may know, Miami Beach will lead the pack in this game to offer an alternative public transport system. DecoBikes is expected to launch in the next 60 days with 100 stations and 900 bikes, on about every third block in the City south of 23 street and sprinkled above and beyond that City-wide. I am very excited about this project that I asked for the City to consider over three years ago when I saw a discussion item about a shared car programme for the City on a Commission Agenda. During the item, I spoke in favor of that, but also asked that since the City was open to considering giving up ROW for shared cars, how about shared bikes? They said okay, and off we went through a RFP process….We will loose about 50 parking spaces and make the City millions of dollars.
As for the Broward program mentioned above, it is ( IMHO) too few bikes spread out way too far over the County to really work. 200 bikes on FT Lauderdale BEACH mite work….. 200 bikes County-Wide..???? That is one big County…..
But we wish them well……
I don’t think it’s meant to be a county wide system. Bicycle infrastructure really isn’t there for people to bike from the western portion of Broward to the costal cities such as Fort Lauderdale (or vice versa). Also, if one choose to do that, investing in a bicycle is probably a better option. I think this bike sharing program is for people finishing their last leg of their trip (car or transit) or for local residents/tourists to make short trips (ie: parks, retail/food, attractions, work, and/or transit stops, or I suppose even just a recreational ride).
Broward isn’t “dense/mixed use” enough like the city of Miami Beach. Broward has Fort Lauderdale’s downtown + Las Olas District and the beach area. I could see it expanding to Flagler Village, Himmarshee, and Sailboat Bend, too. Hollywood has their downtown and beach/boardwalk. Deerfield/Pompano both have their small areas.
I think creating a bike sharing program that severs three or four “dense-ish/mixed use” areas that aren’t necessarily connected each other could work. Which then could expand to neighboring area as time moves along, if the demand exists.
I’ll believe the DecoBikes Bike-share Program is happening when I see the bikes and station around the city.
Gabrielle – (hi Gabrielle!) I was on the ranking committee for the Miami Beach bike sharing program. Our recommendations were:
1. B-cycle
2. Don’t do it until you can afford B-cycle, because a disastrously bad program will set the whole concept back on the beach
3. DecoBikes
Because DecoBikes was “free” (right), the city completely ignored the committee, and chose DecoBikes. I think choice 2 would have been better, but I’d love to be proved wrong. Anyway, I’m with Daniel on this.
One of the things that most annoys and troubles me about DecoBike is their secrecy at every step of the way. Their website has no info, they do not speak to anyone or answer emails, they show up at one MB Bikeways meeting to say “It’s coming!” but precious little else. I find them now on Twitter (@DecoBike) but they have a locked account and none of the people they are following have anything to do with the local bike scene. You can, however, see some pics of the (possible) bikes.
I know I’m being a bit unfair, but I’m calling it healthy skepticism. DecoBike is already facing an uphill battle; their cause would be better served by openness and information sharing than by secrecy.
Thanks for sharing the details of the Miami Beach Bicycle Sharing program, Gabrielle. Josh, it’s interesting that DecoBikes was chosen because it was “free.” B-Cycles must have taken a cue from them because they were proposing at least something without any investment (initially 200 bikes at 18 stations), then more with state funds that are being provided for this project (initially 275 bikes at 25 stations).
You know, I was going to write some more things about DecoBike but I think it’s just easier if I write them an open letter to be posted here and sent to them by email where I lay my thoughts. I don’t want to antagonize them or the project, but they are going about this the wrong way. Expect it later today or tomorrow.
Although the intetion is good, I’m not convinced this bicycle share program will be succesful in Broward County. Even in the areas where the bicycle share program would be located, the population density may be too low for it to work. Successful bike share programs usually have high population densities and distances of travel are relatively short. This is not the case here. I would like to be proven wrong.
you should check into how the amsterdam bike share program went. the answer is not so good most of the bikes got stolen and thrown in the canals. i believe it is no longer available. if it dosnt work there i cant believe that it will work in broward county where bike thievery is rampant.
sure, keep it and your credit card will be charged for it. That will also incentivize making sure no one else steals it either.
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