The Yellow Bike Project is a major yellow bike give-a-way-er and community bike shop in Austin, Texas. To date they have given away over a few hundred bikes, with mixed results. They still release a lot of yellow bikes on particular dates, but they realize how these bikes *usually* get used:

Q: Why do I never see Yellow Bikes on the street?
A: Truth-be-told many of the Yellow Bikes that we release end up being taken by and individual as a private bike. Although this is opposite of our stated purpose of releasing community bikes to ride but not to own, we realize that those willing to ride a bike hand painted yellow are very much in need. If you look closely around town many of the Yellow Bikes end up painted gray or some other color to mask the yellow paint job that we give. Our ultimate intent is to make bicycle transportation available to all and especially those in need, so seeing a gray bike in use still brings a smile to our faces.

from their own website: http://www.austinyellowbike.org/projects.htm

Just down the highway, in San Marcos, Texas, we decided not to pursue a similar system when starting The Bike Cave (www.thebikecave.org) because we feel that personal ownership (all our working, 'resell' bikes are $30-$100 suggested donation, no matter how low or high end) tends to lead to more ridership - thus our ultimate goal. 

So the yellow bike concept does still exist, but has its advantages and disadvantages...

just my 2cents,
Taylor
thebikecave.org



On Feb 23, 2008, at 2:59 PM, CLINTON BIGGS wrote:

I was run over by a guy on a "yellow bike" which was green in Boulder colorado.  It seems to me that the benefit of riding a bike has to be coupled to the responsibility of caring for it. I would think perhaps a program where area establishments had loaner bikes could work. If a, oh lets say zine library so I don't immediately  give in to corporate convenience, had a location by a park and  could loan out bikes  so people could go for a spin in the park, read some zines, and come back.  Then the library could have increased  visitation.   Hey, a library  might be a neat place to keep a   community shared bike  and everyone could have access until its stolen or liberated by radical forces or whatever.   Peace Art



Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:00:48 -0700
From: jonathan@slcbikecollective.org
To: thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
Subject: [TheThinkTank] Successful Yellow Bike Programs?

Do they exist?  I haven't heard of one that lasted.  I am curious because I was reading about the Blue Bike Program

http://www.railtrails.org/whatwedo/partnerships/corporate/DasaniBlueBikes.html

--
Sincerely,

Jonathan Morrison
Executive Director
Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective
2312 S. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
w: 801-328-2453
c: 801-688-0183
f: 801-466-3856
www.slcbikecollective.org

Get Addicted to Crank!
http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/
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