SmartBike now a $70,000 bargaining chip

DCMud is reporting that DDOT is using SmartBike as another negotiating chip for zoning regulation exceptions in the PUD process.

At a recent recent BZA hearing for the (much sought) Marriott convention center hotel, as the quid for the hotel's exceptions to zoning regulations, DC's Department of Transportation (DDOT) asked the developer to install a Smartbike station with a pretty $70,000 price tag. When you're already dropping millions on a project, one might reason $70,000 is but a speedbump on the road to development. But Conference Center Associates I, LLC, the developers, proffered alternative proposals, i.e. trees and green space, considering the lack of bicycle lanes and the unlikelihood that future occupants would opt for pedals over cars.

I'd be pretty sure that a Smartbike kiosk in the location would get plenty of use - even without a single hotel guest using it. Bike lanes are nice, but they aren't needed to use a road. And in the next iteration I would expect SmartBike (or whatever replaces it if another system is used) to be more tourist friendly. Jim Sebastian didn't make those points but instead said that bike lanes are coming.

Sebastian's response was that the building projects often take years to complete and that by that time there might be more access and demand in the area. In the past 7 years, DDOT has added 37 miles of bike lanes and that's only going to increase. Maybe so, but how does DDOT determine which project would be good locations for new Smartbike stations? According to Sebastian, DDOT reviews several criteria including: population density, employment density,retail density, proximity to public transportation, bike-to-work statistics, and proximity to existing Smartbike stations.

What about that $70,000 pricetag? Sebastian was uncertain of the actual cost of individual stations (including installation and maintenance), largely because DDOT funded the first 10 stations through an advertising deal with ClearChannel, which built the new bus shelters, maintains them and uses them for ads. The ad revenue (or at least an undisclosed percentage of it) initially paid for 10 stations in the downtown area. ClearChannel runs the Smartbikes under the direction of DDOT. While DDOT continues to negotiate with ClearChannel over 90 potential additional bike locations throughout the city, they are also trying to place some of the cost on developers. Uncertain of the exact number, Sebastian estimated that DDOT has mulled adding the stations at a dozen or so projects, but only a few have made it as far as the BZA.

If $70,000 is the price tag, the House could buy nearly 3 kiosks for the $200,000 it requested for Wheels4Wellness. I'm glad to see DDOT looking for creative ways to expand its shared bike program.

Update: Richard Layman has a follow up to this

There are three types of trips that need to be considered: (1) getting to and from the hotel by guests; (2) getting to and from the hotel by employees; (3) getting to and from places while staying overnight at the hotel.

As far as bicycles are concerned (and note that trip type #1 is not easily served by bicycling, it requires that other modes be addressed--it's hard to get from the airport or train station to a hotel by bicycle, especially with luggage), better instead to (1) provide a bike fleet for guests to be able to use (or change the SmartBike system to better accommodate visitors) while they are staying at the hotel; (2) provide a system that would encourage employees to use transit and/or bicycles (plus walking of course) with financial inducements to do so, but 24/7/365; and (3) therefore provide a system that provides payroll payment plans for bicycle purchases, etc.

I think the expanded system will be easier for visitors, but that remains to be seen.

Photo by Pedal Power Pete

Comments

[Lee Watkins]

I think DC should take a page from the BIXI playbook and have the DC parking authority launch their own bike share program. They could fund it with some fraction of the parking ticket proceeds. It's a nice self-balancing system that way. But, just to prove this is the USA, we can provide both a public and a priviate-run option, and let people choose which one they want to use.

[Lee Watkins]

part of the commerical appeal of going-green is that it's supposed to eventually pay for itself, or at least that's the sales pitch. how about offering the developer some fraction of the proceeds of any station housed on their property - in exchange for footing up-front costs. Eventually, the station will pay itself back, at least in theory. Of course, if all the developers do this, they will get together and push for unreasonable rate increases - that's why you need a public option for the private one to compete with. Then everyone wins.

[Richard Layman]

There is no DC Parking Authority. Congress kow-towed to local parking magnates to keep it that way...

The whole point of this system is that DC doesn't put up money for it.

That doesn't mean that it's the best possible system.

And f*** paying developers money. The point should be that they are required to deal with Transportation Demand Management as part of doing business.

IN ANY CASE, bicycle sharing shouldn't be the only aspect of bicycle infrastructure planning that is considered as part of TDM Planning.

Washcycle has discussed before how hotels are stocking bicycles and renting-providing them to their guests. I have mentioned it too.

THAT COULD BE FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN SUPPORTING BIKE SHARING, WHICH ISN'T REALLY SET UP TO SUPPORT VISITORS ANYWAY!!!!!!