Roll Call has an article about the Hill's new bicycle fleet. Unfortunately, it's by subscription only.
House staffers will soon have a new way to get around town, thanks to the long-anticipated Wheels4Wellness bike-sharing program that will be unveiled [the afternoon of July 10th].
I didn't see any other coverage. I did learn that Revolution Cycles has the contract to manage the fleet and that they'll use light blue Trek Pure Deluxes.
This isn't going to be the same as SmartBike since there will only be in-group users (in this case the group is Capitol employees). It's more like a Bicycle Library than Velib.
At the University of Rochester, we conducted user surveys and worked with recreation center staff to know how students use bicycle libraries. We chose equipment and designed the borrowing process with the goal of making the user experience as simple and enjoyable as possible. The result? Lines form in Rochester so people can borrow bikes as soon as they're available. The program has reached 10% of that undergraduate population, with new users signing up every week.
Reinventing Urban Transport (via Richard Layman) points out that bicycle libraries for buildings free up bike parking.
At a condominium in Konohana Ward, Osaka, which was completed in October, each of the 220 families living there was allotted a space for two bicycles. However, five bicycles are also available for sharing at the condominium for families needing to use more than two bicycles or for residents who do not have bicycles, but occasionally want to ride one.
Osaka-based River Industry Co., which sold the condominium, has introduced bicycle-sharing schemes at seven condominiums it has completed since 2006. The firm also plans to introduce such schemes at condominiums it is planning to build in the future.
"The scheme is effective at preventing residents from parking bicycles in nondesignated areas," an employee at the firm said.
RUI points out a new term I hadn't heard:
Bicycles are so popular (for short trips and to access rail stations) in Japan's large cities, and public space is at such a premium, that overflowing bicycle parking at busy locations has been given the label 'bicycle pollution'.
Looks like the University of Arkansas has some bicycle pollution problems of its own.
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville’s transit department hopes to clear clutter on campus bike racks by implementing a bicycle sharing program.
“Razorbikes” will allow university students, alumni and faculty to borrow at no charge and use 48 numbered bicycles, returning them to racks scattered around campus.
As a Texas graduate I want so badly to insult Arkansas, but I'll let it go. Oddly my first editorial for The Daily Texan when I was in college was on this subject:
“Students buy bikes and they just leave them here when they’re gone,” Seither said.
“We have faith in the people of Fayetteville that they know a good thing when they see it,” he said.
Unfortunately, they live in Arkansas, so it's a rare treat when they do. (OK, I couldn't resist).
And Richard Layman points out that IKEA - in Denmark -will let you borrow a bike and a trailer to get your Poang home. So much for "How are you going to buy furniture without a car?"
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