Public bike schemes
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Public bike schemes are catching on around the world, with schemes announced for Brisbane and Melbourne.
Melbourne's share bikes revealed
17 March 2010. The bike to be used in Melbourne's shared bike scheme has been revealed publicly for the first time. They will be on the streets at the end of May.
The scheme, operated jointly by RACV and Alta Bicycle Share, will be known as Melbourne Bike Share.
The bikes are blue with strong Melbourne branding. RACV and Victorian Government logos are present, but not conspicuous.
Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas said today the first 100 bikes and the first ten bike stations would be launched on May 31 this year.
“The early set-up means people have a great opportunity to try the system along one corridor before the system expands to 600 bikes across inner Melbourne,” Mr Pallas said.
"The first ten stations will be set up along a key cycling corridor in Melbourne from the Arts Centre Precinct and Federation Square on St Kilda Road, through to Melbourne University in Parkville.
“Locations for the early set-up of the system include popular sites such as Federation Square, City Square, Bourke Street Mall, RMIT University and Melbourne University."
Mr Pallas said the Government understood how important cycling is as a "viable, sustainable and accessible travel option".
Under the new scheme people in Melbourne will be able to use the system for $50 for a yearly subscription, with the daily subscription costing $2.50.
Regular users of the system will be encouraged to use their own helmets and the operators are exploring a range of options for making helmets available to users, including for sale and/or hire from a range of locations within the CBD to ensure convenience.
The first ten Melbourne Bike Share station locations will be at: the Melbourne Arts Centre Precinct; Federation Square; corner Flinders Street and Swanston Street (outside McDonalds); the City Square, Swanston Street; Bourke Street Mall, Swanston Street; the State Library of Victoria; RMIT University, Franklin Street; Lincoln Square, Swanston Street; Melbourne University, Swanston Street and Melbourne University, Tin Alley.
To subscribe for regular updates or for more information on how the new public bike scheme works visit www.melbournebikeshare.com.au
The new bikes are featured in the next issue of Ride On magazine, available 1 April.
BIXI bikes boldly breeding
17 February 2010. The public bike scheme chosen by Melbourne—BIXI—continues to expand following its choice by Minnesota in the US.
The Montreal-designed BIXI system has also been chosen by Boston and London. The Melbourne version will hit the streets in mid-year.
The first phase of the Minnesota operation, to be known as Nice Bike, will have a 1,000 bikes at 80 kiosks and will be launched in June.
The bikes will be located in the CBD, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus and surrounding commercial districts.
The system will operate on a non-profit basis, with income supplemented by sponsorship and by funds obtained from the historic settlement with tobacco companies.
The livery of the Melbourne bikes has not yet been revealed.
Melbourne public bikes seeks boss
14 January 2010. The operators of Melbourne's forthcoming public bike scheme are seeking a planning and management whiz to head up the new venture.
Alta Bike Share, which is RACV's partner in the scheme, has advertised for a manager of the day-to-day operations of the scheme. The position will also double up as Alta's launching pad for the expansion of its town planning business into Australia and Asia.
The company is based in the USA, where it is a leader in bike and pedestrian planning. Now, with a foothold in Australia via the Melbourne public bike scheme, it is establishing a Melbourne office to both run the bike share operation and expand its consulting business.
This is the advertisement for the position:
Bicycle/Pedestrian Planning, Design, Operations Manager
Alta Bicycle Share is seeking to hire a full time professional for a new Melbourne office.
Main Responsibilities:
- Day-to-day management of a large-scale bicycle rental operations;
- Planning and design consultancy services for bicycle, pedestrian, and trail projects in Australia, Asia, and Oceania.
The successful candidate should meet this criterion:
Self-motivated
Have at least 3 years of consultancy and/or organization management experience
Be able to oversee staff, bicycle rental operations, perform administrative functions, be willing to perform some services in-field, be in good physical condition
Have strong verbal, writing and analytical skills.
Have a working knowledgeable of computers and basic software
Have some knowledge of and/or experience in the following fields: transportation, bicycle, pedestrian, and trail design, transportation operations
Advanced degree in planning, engineering, landscape architecture, or related fields is preferred.
Please send resumes and other materials to:
Michael Jones (mgjones[at]altaplanning.com)
RACV tenders for helmets for public bikes
13 January 2101. RACV wants more than 1000 helmets for the launch of the Melbourne public bike scheme in the middle of next year, which will be one of the first such schemes with compulsory helmets.
The tender documentation also reveals that the project is examining the use of innovative folding helmets, and vending machines.
The helmets must comply with the Australian standard.
Most of the public bike schemes around the world have thrived in environments where helmet wearing is not compulsory.
One of the major challenges of the Melbourne and Brisbane projects is that it will be the first time public bikes will operate where helmets must be fitted.
Melbourne (and the state of Victoria) was the first jurisdiction in the world where helmets became compulsory, and their use has since become widespread and accepted.
Melbourne bike system takes next step
15 December 2009. RACV is seeking partners to plan, operate and maintain the public bike system coming to Melbourne next year.
The organisation, in conjunction with Alta Bicycle Share, last month won the State Government bid to run the 600 bikes at 50 stations in the city of Melbourne.
Now its moving to set up the systems and facilities needed to keep 600 bikes on the street each day, and available to the public where demand is greatest.
RACV / Alta is seeking a partner to assist with planning elements of the deployment of the bike stations, working with RACV to identify possible sites and develop and submit planning permits.
The group is also seeking a partner to assist with the installation of docking stations, and the 'rebalancing' of the stock of bikes from one station to another.
Finally, RACV / Alta are seeking a partner with expertise in bicycle maintenance to assemble and service the Bixi bikes used by the scheme.
The subcontractor will be trained on the specifics of the Bixi bicycle. All tools and equipment needed are specific for this bicycle and will be provided by RACV / Alta. The bicycles will arrive 85% assembled. Final assembly of one bicycle takes 30-60 minutes.
The bicycle subcontractor will undertake a cycle of scheduled servicing on the bicycles at its workshop, including inspection of chain, tyres and gears as well as adjustments to wheels and brakes.
The subcontractor will repair bicycles as they are brought in by the operations subcontractor. Except for severely damaged bicycles, all other bicycles should be repaired within 24 hours of entry into the shop.
The subcontractor will regularly check bikes out on the street for basic safe operation, such as tyres, brakes, chain, seat, pedals, as well as any vandalism or other flaws in the bicycle.
Those with the capability of providing the planning, maintenance or operations for the public bike scheme should contact RACV.
RACV wins Melbourne’s public bike contract
1 November 2009. Giant car club RACV has been awarded the contract to design and operate Melbourne’s public bike system, which will be on the streets around mid-2010.
RACV won the bid in conjunction with Alta Bicycle Share from the United States and will utilize the Bixi bike share system from Montreal.
This system has recently won tenders for London and Boston.
RACV has more than two million members and its transforming itself from a car organization into a mobility organization. “One hundred years ago we were advocating for the rights of cars; now we are advocating for the rights of bike riders,” RACV’s General Manager for Membership and Motoring Services, Gordon Oakley, said at the announcement.
The losing bidder was Veolia Transport, which operates a number of shared bike systems around the world.
Under the scheme people in Melbourne will be able to use the system for as little as $50 for a yearly subscription, with the daily subscription to cost $2.50.
Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas said users would be required to buy a subscription in order to use the public bikes, with the option of a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly subscription.
“For subscribers the first half hour will be free, with the cost then increasing with usage time,” Mr. Pallas said. “The pricing structure has been developed to encourage short trip use as the system is not intended to compete with existing tourist bike hire operators.”
Bicycle Victoria assisted both bidders with information and advice on Melbourne’s riding habits.
Both contenders had detailed and professional proposals. Veolia’s system has been longer in development and has progressed through a number of iterations to be both sophisticated and dependable. The RACV/Alta system is very recent, also sophisticated, and has experienced rapid success in Montreal.
The Victorian Government, which awarded the contract, would have been very aware of the enormous goodwill towards RACV in the community, and of RACV’s massive marketing reach.
Some uncertainty exists about the Melbourne scheme as helmets are compulsory here, whereas they are not in Montreal and other cities with public bikes. Mr. Pallas said he expected regular users of the system would use their own helmets, while RACV and Alta were exploring options for sale and hire.
Bicycle Victoria believes that public bikes will make a major difference to Melbourne’s ambience and liveability.
Central Melbourne will be easy to get around, and it will be a more welcoming and human-scale environment with 600 public bikes cruising around each day.
More and more people are choosing bikes to get around, and this will now accelerate with the convenience of readily available public bikes.
The bikes will be conspicuous and will be a highly visible symbol of the changes taking place in personal transportation. The community will realize
that bikes are here and here to stay.
Every extra rider puts a strain on Melbourne’s crowded bike facilities. Fortunately the State Government and the City Council have indicated that they are determined to improve bike infrastructure so that new riders will feel comfortable riding around the City.
Dublin goes green with public bikes
7 October 2009. Dublin has introduced a shared bike scheme with 450 bikes to rent from 40 stations.
They are free for half hour and then 50 cents for the first hour, rising to €6.50 for four hours. The bikes cannot be taken out using cash.
Riders register online for annual membership at a cost of €10 or alternatively can pay with a credit card at 14 of the stations for a three-day €2 ticket.
The bikes are available from 5.30am to 12.30am seven days a week.
JC Decaux provides the bike service as part of an outdoor advertising contract with Dublin City Council. The cost of installation, management and maintenance of the bikes and their stations (including replacing and repairing the bikes) will be covered by JC Decaux.
More than 1,000 bike journeys were made in the first six hours of the scheme.
The scheme's website is here.
Big prize for 'visionary' Copenhagen public bike design
9 September 2009. The City of Copenhagen, eager to boost its reputation for bike transport leadership, has launched a $170,000 open competition for the design of its next generation public bike system.
Copenhagen was one of the first cities to have a shared bike scheme, and the programme is now in its second generation.
Now the Danish capital wants to leap ahead with the design of the most modern system possible to help it meet its ambitious target of getting 50 per cent of all work commuting on a bike by 2015.
Among the criteria are high visibility and user-friendliness, particularly the booking and payment system. The new bike share system must also possess the potential to strengthen sustainable mobility in Copenhagen and at the same time interact with the city’s architectural expression.
They want technical qualities that make the system better than previous generations of bike share systems, with quality riding characteristics.
The deadline for entries is 19 November 2009.
Download the competition details.
RACV vs. Veolia in Melbourne shortlist
23 August 2009. Car club behemoth RACV is a shock player in the battle to win Melbourne's public bike scheme tender.
In the short list announced today by Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas, RACV has teamed up with international town planning firm Alta Planning & Design to bring Montreal's Bixi system to Melbourne.
They are lined up against a bid by Veolia Transport, one of the world biggest public transport companies, operating trains, ferries, buses and trams, as well as public bike schemes.
The Bixi system was introduced in Montreal in May. It has recently won contracts in London and Boston. The system has base stations which are easily portable and can be removed for storage in winter in cities where snow is a problem.
Veolia's Veloway system is also flexible in configuration, with modular docking stations. It is designed for integration with public transport systems. Most recently it was introduced to the French city of Nice.
The Melbourne tender involves a $5 million contract over four years.
Mr. Pallas said RACV and Veolia had produced quality submissions and the government confident of selecting a successful operator within three months.
He said the stations would house up to 600 bikes between them, offering workers, and tourists with a cheap and green way to travel around the city.
“The system aims to encourage more people to ride a bike for short trips helping to relieve pressure on transport systems in the inner-city, as well as offering health and wellbeing benefits,” he said.
Member for Melbourne Bronwyn Pike MP said some 50 bicycle stations will be set up at key locations around inner Melbourne including Parliament House, Federation Square, Southern Cross Station, Melbourne University and the Carlton hospital precinct.”
Operational details of the bike scheme, including pricing and helmet requirements and availability, will be announced once the tender had been awarded.
The Public Bike Hire Scheme is a key part of the Brumby Labor Government’s $115 million Victorian Cycling Strategy. It is expected to be operational in 2010.
London signs A$277M public bikes deal
22 August 2009. Transport for London (TfL) has awarded international services company Serco a six year A$277 million contract to install and operate a new public bike system for the City.
Serco, which was selected following a nine month competitive tender, will be based on, but not identical to, the Bixi bike system from Montreal.
Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the London Cycle Hire scheme is set to help alleviate congestion on the Tube and buses and increase the number of people cycling in London.
The system will launch mid-2010. Revenue from the scheme will be paid directly to TfL, although no details on the price structure for the London scheme have been revealed
Serco already operates the Dockland's Light Railway, the Woolwich Ferry and maintains traffic signals for TfL.
There will be 6,000 hire bikes spread over London’s 44 sq kilometre zone one travel area, located at 400 docking stations.
TfL expects the scheme will generate more than 40,000 cycle trips daily.
Information on that and on the design of the bicycles, docking stations and terminals, will be released later this year.
As central London is composed of different 'councils', planning permission for the docking stations could be problematical because some councils fear the loss car parking revenue from metered spaces occupied by the stations.
Boston bags Bixi
22 August 2009. The City of Boston has opted for Montreal's recently birthed Bixi system when it introduces its public bike system next northern spring.
Boston will launch with 2,500 bikes at 290 stations in inner Boston, increasing to 5,000 bikes at 475 stations as the system expands through metro Boston, Cambridge, Brookline and Somerville.
Bixi launched in Montreal in May to great acclaim, although there have been reports of theft and vandalism at the docking stations.
The Bixi bicycle-sharing system was designed so that it could be used in numerous other cities. Base stations are solar-powered and WiFi-enabled, allowing them to be placed anywhere in the city without need for an electrical connection.
This also means they can be easily relocated or warehoused in cities which become snow-bound in winter.
Mexico City to ride SmartBike
21 August 2009. The Mexico City Government has selected the SmartBike system from outdoor advertising giant ClearChannel for its public bike system, scheduled to launch in December.
The city is notorious for traffic congestion and pollution.
The system will roll out with 1,114 bikes at 84 base stations, initially in the south western precincts of central Mexico City. The contract is designed to gradually ramp up to 6,000 bikes at 400 bike stations.
The project is part of a transportation strategy aiming to lift bike use from 1.2 per cent of short trips to five per cent. The City also has a program to significantly improve its bike infrastructure.
The Mexicans are aiming for 24,000 subscribers in year one of operation, principally customers of their Metro, Metrobus, or trolleybus public transport systems who need to complete a trip.
The annual subscription will cost 200 pesos (A$18.50). The first half hour of each hire will be free.
The SmartBike system allows registered riders to swipe a card at a station to unlock the bike. Riders then travel by bike to their next stop and lock the bike back to the closest SmartBike station.
The system is in use in 14 cities, including Barcelona, Washington D.C., and Oslo.
Hangzhou reverse China trend
21 August 2009. Bikes seemed to be disappearing from Chinese cities, but Hangzhou's public bike scheme, the first in China, is getting them back on the streets.
About a year ago the Hangzhou Municipal Government introduced 2,800 public bikes at 61 stations in the downtown areas in an attempt to arrest the traffic congestions that was choking the East China city—home to the West Lake tourist destination-- to a standstill.
The scheme has proved popular with tourists and residents alike, and has grown steadily.
Now Hangzhou aims to have 50,000 bicycles for rent at 2,000 service outlets by the end of this year, with an outlet every 100 meters in CBD.
The bikes are free for the first hour, a period long enough to ride a bicycle around the West Lake. Users are charged one yuan from the second hour to the third hour, two yuan from the third hour to the fourth hour, and three yuan from the fourth hour to the 24th hour.
People who neither return bicycles nor report a bicycle loss within 24 hours, are charged 10 yuan each day from their deposit in addition to normal fees that should have been collected. These users are blacklisted and lose the right to hire public bicycles for life.
Residents from 16 to 70 years old can hire the bikes using with their Hangzhou public transport pass cards or Hangzhou citizen cards. Tourists from other areas may apply for service cards at service outlets with their identity cards and 300 yuan deposit.
About 80 percent of hires are less than one hour and are therefore free. The longer hires generate about 200,000-300,000 yuan each month, far short of the 1.5 million yuan monthly cost of running the project.
City authorities plan to introduce revenue generating outdoor advertising on the bikes and at the rental stations, and with further system expansion, believe they can eventually break even on costs. Hangzhou is also planning to set up a public bicycle technology development company, to commercialize its public bicycle technologies.
Public bike schemes are also on the drawing boards in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Wuhan, Changzhou and Sanya, driven by concerns over fuel prices, environment and congestion and traffic jams.
At the end of last year, with a 1.3 billion population, China had about 650 million bicycles, including 80 million e-bikes, while it had 65 million motor vehicles. But cars have become a symbol of wealth and in some cities, bicycle lanes are being abolished to create space for cars.
No Velib for Melbourne
6 August 2009. International public bikes giant JC Decaux have publicly admitted snubbing Melbourne's public bike tender and refusing to bid.
Decaux, whose massive Velib scheme in Paris is considered the flag bearer for public bikes, depends on advertising signage revenue to fund its systems.
The Melbourne tender severely restricts opportunities for on-street advertising, making the Decaux model uneconomic for the city.
The company had previously attempted to launch a public bike scheme in Melbourne, in a joint venture with the Connex operators Veolia, but the bid failed.
Decaux successfully bid for the Brisbane Public bike scheme in January, but the project has made little obvious progress since. The Brisbane scheme involves 2000 bikes and the contract is for a remarkable 20 years.
Veolia and other companies believed to be still in the Melbourne bid have systems with a transportation rather than advertising focus, and can operating economically without large advertising revenues.
Decaux has criticized the Melbourne bid process for its small size (600 bikes), limited scope (Melbourne municipality only) and lack of advertising revenue prospects.
JCDecaux’s CEO, Mr. Stephen O’Connor stated, “It is unfortunate, as we believe that Melbourne is a great City and offers excellent conditions to operate a public bicycle system. We have worked very hard over the last few years promoting JCDecaux’s business model that in our experience, is integral to establishing and maintaining a successful public bicycle system.”
From information made available to Bicycle Victoria, remaining bidders for the Melbourne scheme have systems equal to or better than the JC Decaux model.
It is true that 600 bikes is a small number for a scheme the size of Melbourne. It would not surprise if that number is increase before or soon after the scheme is launched next year.
Blue bikes for Côte d’Azur
28 July 2009. The French city of Nice, a favourite holiday destination on the Mediterranean, launches its public bike scheme this month in an attempt to beat the annual summer car crush.
The scheme has kicked off with 900 bikes, growing to 1750 by April next year.
The project is being managed by Veloway, which is rolling out a number of public bikes schemes around the globe. Veloway is part of the Veolia group, which is understood to be a bidder for the Melbourne tender.
The Nice bikes will operate from 175 base stations, located no more than 300 metres apart.
Nice, like many popular beach towns in Australia and elsewhere, is suffocating under the weight of cars every summer. It is building 100 kilometres of new bike paths to complement the public bikes, reducing congestion and improving amenity.
The Veloway public bikes have shaft drives and are said to be more durable than the common chain drive variety.
Paris: bikes bad, system good
Public bike bidders flock to Melbourne
4 June 2009. Melbourne's public bike tender has aroused interest from around the world as major international operators jockey for prime position to win the bid.
Since the tender was launched a month ago various companies, consultants and agents have been in Melbourne, sharpening their pencils and sizing up the Melbourne offer.
They have been attracted by the $5M subsidy available over fours years to the winning bidder.
Tender closes on June 18. The Government expects there could be six to 12 months of negotiations before the winning bidder is contracted.
A number of the contenders have contacted Bicycle Victoria seeking information about the city's bike facilities and bike culture. They are convinced Melburnians will love using public bikes.
At a briefing for bidders last week Department of Transport officials said the priority for the Melbourne project was integration with public transport.
The government regarded public bikes as another facet of the public transport portfolio, joining trains, trams, buses and taxis.
The first four year contract would be a base system, confined mostly within the City of Melbourne boundaries. If the base system proved successful, it would be expanded further across metropolitan Melbourne.
It was envisaged that the bike parking stations would be 300-500 metres apart, with emphasis on major attractions and transport nodes. Placement of the parking stations on footpaths was not acceptable.
Riders would have to be over 18, or over 15 with parental approval.
Riders could join by subscription, or be charged for specific time periods. Time periods would be short and long term hire to the likes of tourists would not be possible.
The government said it was seeking a single contractor to install, operate and maintain the system, although some lower level services could be sub-contracted.
The selected operator would have to have successfully operated a similar scheme. A successful funding model, with or without subsidy, would be a critical factor in the selection process, the DOT officials said.
RMIT trials bike hire alternative
19 May 2009. RMIT Industrial Design students are trialling a community based bike hire scheme pitched as a frugal alternative to the State Government's multi-million dollar public bike proposal.
The students say that Melbourne could open a new chapter in public transport provision if it adopted a public bikes scheme unique to the city and appropriate to the economy rather than one copied from foreign cities.
The RMIT project, known as Common Bike, is a not-for-profit scheme using regular bikes. Unlike the large-scale schemes, it is designed to be effective in low density suburbs.
The three-week trial is utilising 30 bikes based at eight hubs in the inner and northern suburbs.
Membership is $5 and each trip after the first requires a gold coin donation.
For details: http://www.commonbike.com/
Brumby splashes cash for public bikes
5 May 2009. Premier John Brumby has committed a $5m subsidy—equivalent to more than $8000 per bike—to a public bike scheme for Melbourne.
Tenders were to be called this week for the project, which specifies 600 bikes at 50 stations around central Melbourne.
Sites are believed to include Federation Square, Melbourne University and Southern Cross Station.
Roads Minister Tim Pallas was reported as saying that the government was seeking an organisation that has successfully implemented a scheme elsewhere in a comparable environment.
Public bike schemes have operated with mixed success so far. They are being rolled out in a number of cities around the world. The successful implementations appear to be in cities which have high population densities.
By offering such a substantial subsidy for the scheme the government is signalling high expectations for the project.
A successful uptake of the scheme by the Melbourne public would highlight the serious inadequacies of current route infrastructure. This could increase pressure on the government and city authorities to accelerate their investment in new and better facilities.
The City of Melbourne is backing the concept, although it is not proposing any direct funding.
Montreal launches innovative scheme next week
5 May 2009. Montreal, Canada’s second largest city is launching a public bikes scheme with 3,000 bikes at 300 stations.
The service, called Bixi, will operate only in the snow-free months. It will start in the CBD and move into neighbourhoods later.
The Bixi scheme is considered to have several advantages over other public bikes schemes in operation. In particular to Montreal bike stations are "drop in", requiring no excavation for utility cabling.
This enables them to be easily moved and re-located via truck. They are solar powered.
The bikes are three-speed. The first half-hour will be free, the next half hour $1.50, and successive half-hours more expensive still.
The project is run by Montreal's parking authority, which has invested $15-million and but says it expects to break even without resorting to advertising signage revenue.
Eighty per cent of costs are expected to be covered through memberships at $78(Canadian) a year or $28 a month." A 24-hour pass is available for $5.
London to launch in 2010
5 May 2009. Planning has begun for the London Cycle Hire scheme, expected to be operating by this time next year.
Transport for London (TfL) has made application yesterday for 400 docking stations in central London, one every 300 metres
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “I pledged to deliver a cycling revolution across the city, and there is now a growing excitement about our cycle hire scheme, which will give all Londoners the opportunity to hop on a bike and experience the joys of cycling.
"Much like hailing a cab, people will be able to pick up one of 6,000 bikes and zip around town to their heart's content – not only a quick, easy and healthy option, but one that will also make London a more liveable city."
TfL expects the scheme to generate an extra 4000 bike trips a day.
It forms part of £111 million the mayor and TfL are investing in cycling this year.
Milan to expand operations
5 May 2009. Milan is expanding its stock of public bikes to 5000.
Milan introduced the BikeMe rental bikes last November with 1200 bikes at 103 stations in the town centre.
The project is operated by outdoor advertising firm by Clearchannel, which also runs schemes in Barcelona, Washington and Oslo.
The bikes in Milan are considered as an adjunct to public transport and are the same colours as buses and trams.
Trek joins public bikes movement
21 April 2009. Leading US bike manufacturer Trek has developed its own public bike design to offer cities and corporations around the world -- the B-cycle.
Trek and its partners have designed a "next-generation" bike-share program with data tracking to automatically capture information such as distance traveled, equivalent calories burned and carbon offset after each ride.
B-cycle members can access the system using their B-connected card. Walk-up riders use a credit card. Both B-cycle members and walk-up riders gain immediate access to the system upon approval.
The data is uploaded to a personal user profile on Bcycle.com.
The City of Denver is the first customer for the initiative, with 500 bikes available to the public at 30 to 40 stations throughout the city around mid year and doubling in size in 2010.
The program is being underwritten by $1 million in local funding and will be managed by a specially established non-profit organisation.
Melbourne City to back Brumby's public bikes
26 February 2009. The City Of Melbourne is expected to next week endorse the Brumby government's plan for a $5M public bike hire scheme in central Melbourne.
The Council and the Department of Transport (DOT) are preparing a Memorandum of Understanding which will see the Brumby initiative, part of his soon to be announced Victorian Transport Plan, establish bike vending stations at key locations on Melbourne's streets.
Staff from both organisations have been meeting over the last 12 months to assess the feasibility of the concept. No details of this investigation have been released to date.
The Council expects that the system will be implemented via a contract between DOT and a service provider selected by tender.
Public bike schemes have blossomed overseas recently, with mixed success. The City believes such a scheme could be effective in Melbourne for trips up to 10km.
According to Melbourne City the schemes comprise automated parking stations in public places operated via the internet or credit card. Users pay a refundable bond, a time charge, and can return the bike to any vending station.
The City wants the vending stations close to high public transport, safe bicycle routes and tourist accommodation.
Although the systems are part funded by advertising, the City wants to restrict advertising to the bikes so as to limit impact on the streetscape.
The City also says it will be consulted regarding the provision of helmets. Helmet provision for public bikes could prove a significant problem in Melbourne where helmets are compulsory.
Paris pulls plug on Velib bike rentals
11 February 2009. The much lauded Paris Velib bike rental scheme, with 15,000 hi-tech bikes and advanced infrastructure, has hit the skids.
JC Decaux, the firm that has set up and managed the scheme, is bailing out because it has proved financially unsustainable.
The Velib scheme was the biggest ever launched and attracted world-wide attention. Australian governments and councils have been enthralled by the concept and have foreshadowed extending the scheme locally. Brisbane has already signed up.
Velib was certainly popular—the bikes have been rented on more than 42 million occassions in 18 months.
But more than half the original 15,000 specially designed bikes have vanished. Nearly all the original bikes have had to be replaced because of theft and vandalism. Each bike cost $800.
JC Decaux originally received a 10-year licence for the rights to 1600 Paris billboards for operating Velib. It also shared $40M in annual revenue with the city.
But it says it cannot now continue.
In an attempt to rescue the scheme the City authorities recently agreed to partly pay for replacement bikes.
Brisbane jumps for Paris-style bike scheme
23 January 2009. JCDecaux Australia has won a 20-year exclusive contract to operate Brisbane’s planned bike hire scheme.
The self-service hire scheme will be the first of its type in Australia.
Brisbane City Council will contribute $800,000 each year of the contract, with the remainder of the cost coming from advertising.
The contract covers the design, supply, installation and on-going maintenance of 150 self-service stations, and 2000 bikes.
Subscription to the scheme will cost $55 a year or $25 a quarter (casual users will pay $10 a day or $150 for 24 hours), with the first 30 minutes of use free.
Bike docking stations will operate 5am to 10pm every day of the year.
JCDecaux were selected over two other bids after a six-month competitive tender.
The company has advertising-funded bike hire schemes in 16 countries.
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