Smartbike start slips to early June

So reports DCist. Also, on the subject of bike sharing, here's a page full of Velib stats (translated poorly from French).

89%  find the service easy to use

87% are satisfied with the means of payment available

86%  are satisfied with the cost

On the other hand, only 46% are satisfied with the signs for the stations: 

Only 41% are satisfied with the availability of the bicycles 

And only 32% are satisfied with the placement of the stations

And a report that Philadelphia is investigating bike-sharing.  But it sounds like they're much farther behind DC than "second"

Philadelphia bike-sharing advocate Russell Meddin estimates that the city would need 250 to 300 stations and 4,000 to 5,000 bicycles in order for people to find it reliable.

Deputy mayor for transportation Rina Cutler says she likes the idea, but she hasn't seen a workable business plan yet.

Comments

[gwadzilla]

name that bicycle advocate on my blog!

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/

[AshburnDave]

I'm still not entirely sure who this program is designed for, but I hope it takes off. Seems like a basket would be far more useful than that mounting point briefcase holder thingy in the front.

[washcycle]

I agree about the basket. But with such a small set of bikes, we are getting the system that ClearChannel already had. I think the system is designed for the following groups of people.

1. People who take metro to work downtown - they can use the bike as a "last mile" tool, during lunch hour to run errands or visit restaurants a little farther away or after work to get to happy hour.

2. People who live downtown but who don't own a bike ($40 a year is a real bargain and you don't need to store it in your efficiency condo or maintain it).

3. People who go downtown via Metro and then want to change destinations. After catching a movie at Gallery Place it'll be a great way to get to dinner at DuPont Circle.

[Richard Layman]

From what I inferred at Bike to Work Day and talking with some DDOT people, again the problem is getting all the stations electrified (i.e., Pepco issues) in a timely fashion.

As far as how the bikesharing system is conceived, I think that you're right.

It's not the lack of peple trying to suggest ways to meet the needs and interests of other market segments, but that hasn't percolated through very well over the years.

E.g., I brought up the tourist stuff a couple years ago at a bus shelter program meeting for Main Street programs...