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/ _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank- bikecollectives.org