Hi Jason,
Congratulations. The City of Boulder is looking to start a public paid bike program--similar to Velib in Paris, most likely-- sometime soon. They've scheduled a roundtable discussion about it next week, I believe.
I won't be at the meeting with the city, but I was at a previous, not-open-to-the-public meeting with some city staff, when we went over concerns about a potential project here.
We did a little research, and I wasn't convinced--nor am I now--that these programs are sustainable in a long term way (more than 2 or 3 years.) I think the maintenance and transport of bikes (from the bottoms of hills to the tops) is more expensive than the program can bring or has brought in any previous program that I'm aware of.
Of course, if I'm wrong, I would ABSOLUTELY love to hear about success stories. I'm not talking about first or second generation public bike programs. "First generation" would be the traditional "free bike" programs, where bikes are fixed and just left around busy places for people to use for free. "Second generation" public bike programs are the ones where you have one main check out and check in point. Similar to how one would rent a bike from a bike shop. You wouldn't be able to turn it in across town.
I mean the third generation, or "check a bike out from various kiosks around town and turn them in at another kiosk across town" model. Of course, third generational models are all still new enough that they've not been around long enough to have been proven workable or sustainable.
Do keep us posted with how it goes with Sibley and the bikes and the process. I'm sure documenting the process will be valuable for other groups looking to do similar work.
Thanks, and good luck!
josh.
On Fri, Sep 11, 2009 at 2:41 PM, Stuart O Anderson <soa@ri.cmu.edu> wrote:This is great news! - Sibley is the place where I first learned to
work with bikes._______________________________________________
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jason Tanzman <jason.tanzman@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 11, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Subject: [TheThinkTank] Community Partners Bike Library
To: thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
Hey everybody,
I just wanted to send an email and let folks know about an exciting
project that Sibley Bike Depot (St. Paul, MN) is beginning. Sibley
received funding in full on Tuesday for a $200,000 program to run a
Community Partners Bike Library! The funds were approved by Transit
for Livable Communities, a not-for-profit transit advocacy group in
charge of allocating a $21 million federal Non-motorized Transit Pilot
program in the Twin Cities.
This funding will allow Sibley to build up a fleet of 200 bicycles –
outfitted for transportation purposes with a rack, fenders, lights,
lock, and helmet – to lend out to community members for up to six
months. The bike lending will be coordinated through Community
Partners – other agencies, such as affordable housing organizations,
job placement centers, homeless shelters, and more – who will help
identify patrons who will benefit from reliable transportation.
Through this program, Sibley hopes to increase the availability of
bicycles within working class and poor communities, thus helping to
increase access to bicycles and diversify the bicycling movement in
the Twin Cities!
I am interested to hear any thoughts/feedback/suggestions from anyone
who has 1) coordinated a bike library program; or, 2) handled large
federal or other government grants (rumored to be a tremendous pain in
the ass).
Jason Tanzman
--
Sibley Bike Depot
Volunteer Coordinator
612-232-2737 (cell)
651-222-2080 (shop)
www.sibleybikedepot.org
Sibley Bike Depot's mission is to be an open, accessible space to
educate and empower people to use bicycles as transportation, helping
to build a sustainable environment and community. Volunteer with us
to help build a bicycling movement in the Twin Cities!
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