Will CaBi have too many members?

Capital Bikeshare sold 8132 memberships during the Living Social promotion, which is astounding since that was more memberships than they'd sold in the 6 months prior to the promotion, but some worry that it's too many

which makes us wonder if Capital Bikeshare’s fleet of bikes will be enough to supply this high-demand service.

I'm not too worried (despite reports of frequent empty or full stations) about this for several reasons.

1. CaBi is expanding, so that should take some pressure off the current stations.

2. More people using the system also means more circulation. Sure, they still need to rebalance, but this adds more diversity to the kinds of trips.

3. The average new members, and they aren't all new members, is less likely to be a heavy user since those users probably got in early. In fact a diversity of users - not just daily commuters - might do more to improve circulation.

4. CaBi bikes are used about 3 times a day. Paris' are used 10 times a day. There's room for heavier use. Even if every member rode once a day, that still wouldn't get us to 10 uses a day.

So maybe I'll be proven wrong, but I remain optimistic. Out of curiosity, what percentage of stations are unusable when you get to them? For me it is probably less than 5%.

In other CaBi news, they're having a scavenger hunt to celebrate the expansion.

Anytime between April 18 and 24, use Capital Bikeshare to visit all four of the new stations and search the map frame at each station for a “clue.”  Solve the clues (don’t worry, you won’t need a PhD) and take a photo of yourself scavenger hunting on Capital Bikeshare.

This may be the most fun you can have in Rosslyn.

Also, Georgetown students discussed what to do with the Student Activities Fee Endowment at a town hall meeting held on Saturday by the commission responsible for allocating the $3.4 million remaining in the now-inactive fund. One idea bikesharing.

Representatives of the bike share proposal — which advocated a partnership with Capital Bike Share — were unable to attend the town hall meeting, but according to the commission, the proposal has changed drastically from the original presentation. They will be presenting to the commission again on Tuesday.

This sounds like a system separate from CaBi. They should just buy additional CaBi stations.

Comments

[Michael H.]

Why would Georgetown U. want to operate their own bikeshare system? There are 4 CaBi stations nearby so a campus system can easily integrate into the main system.

Maybe they are worried that non-students would use the bikes so often that the stations would always be full or empty? That doesn't seem likely. How often do non-students ride onto the GU campus? Even when they do, how often would they start or end a trip there?

Maybe CaBi needs to build more public awareness over there. Hand out some fliers and have a rep available at Earth Day events or something like that.

[BC]

I would be concerned about this. To me, the system has very little utility if I arrive at a station and can't get a bike. I almost always check online to see whether there are bikes available before I get to the station and I usually check my destination to see if there is an open slot to drop off the bike. But, even with that level of detail I have been foiled by CaBi. I have arrived at a station to find that the bike I thought was available was actually waiting for service and couldn't be checked out. I have also arrived at a Kiosk to find it non-responsive and requiring someone to physically come there and reboot the thing. Believe it or not I'm a supporter and want to see it work but for time sensitive trips I think using this system is still pretty risky. One idea would be to offer a "premium" membership to users of the system that would pay slightly more for a "guaranteed" trip. The way I see this working is that you have to "reserve" your trip ahead of time using the website. Then CaBi does whatever they have to do to "guarantee" that you have a bike waiting for you at your origin and an open slot at your "destination". This is a feature I would gladly pay extra for because I like the utility of Bike Sharing but I do not like the uncertainty. I'm sure others besides myself would pay to have that uncertainty removed.

[Jacques]

@Michael H

As a Georgetown alum (and neighbor), I agree -- the utility of expanding CaBi service on campus far outweighs an alternative bikesharing model.

I think the main reason that GU students have not picked up on Bikeshare is that the only station on campus is at the front gates, which is 1-6 blocks from where most students live. If they were to add 3-4 stations around campus (or in Burleith and West Georgetown, though they'd have to get it cleared by the ANC, which can be tricky in the current climate), then students would see an additional use, of quickly getting across campus, and would be more likely to join the system, and the

If I were picking spots on GU's campus, this is where they'd go:
- Outside O'Donovan Dining Hall
- Outside Yates Field House
- In between the Leavey Center and Darnall Hall.
- Next to the Reservoir Road Entrance
- In front of the Car Barn at 36th and Prospect Streets.

These five stations, or even a few of them, would provide a serious quality of life boost for students running late to class, or too lazy to walk to the dining hall, etc., and would put a serious uptick in the membership rates on campus. And once students were members, I think they would start to explore the city a lot more than some of them currently do.

[charlie]

I don't think the Living Social deal will over-extend bike-share. A substantial part of those sold were renewals, and some minority were monthly memberships.

In terms of circulation, Cabi is a bit of bind. You've got to balance circulation vs. geographic expansion. I walked over to Clarendon and Pierce last night with the GF, and we decided there is really nowhere to go from that station. Getting into Georgetown is a nightmare, and the only other way across the Potomac is Roosevelt Bridge, which she doesn't like.

So you really need more density, which will encourage circulation. But at the same time you've got to bring new areas online and sell memberships there.

I'd say the biggest failure of Cabi is PR and education. I get stopped ALL the time and asked -- kinda getting annoyed being an ambassador -- which tells me there is a huge information gap out there.

[Jacques]

@charlie -- I agree on CaBi needing to do more education/PR. I think they've tried to get out in events like Cherry Blossom to start that, and hopefully, they'll hit a bunch of the big street festivals in the spring and summer.

I also think they probably looked at the Living Social deal as an educational or awareness-building opportunity as much as anything else. 5,000 new memberships, and how many other Living Social members that saw the deal and (even briefly) considered it without purchasing.

On the Rosslyn-Courthouse side, I could see the North Pierce station being a boon for people who live in the apartments in those areas, turning a 10 minute walk to Rosslyn or Courthouse Metro into a 3-minute ride. I would have loved it when I lived at what was then Summit Village and is now Rosslyn Heights, just off Wilson on Quinn.

[charlie]

@Jacques. Hmm. Taking Cabi UP wilson to courthouse would not be fun. And going down Clarendon.....I live in the area, and use Custis for getting down to Georgetown/Rosslyn.

Yes, once the 30+ stations promised on Rosslyn-Ballston are in place it will be different. A larger point is sometimes the station placement seems a bit off. Pierce and Wilson would seem far better than Pierce and Clarendon.

[Roy]

Reason 5. Some people who took advantage of the promotion are not new members, but are renewing.

[Jacques]

@charlie
I agree re: the placement of the Pierce Street station on Wilson vs. Clarendon. I wonder how much of the station placement is based on available space, or whether they wanted to balance the number of stations that were on eastbound and westbound streets, to minimize the number of wrong-way cyclists.

As to the uphill ride, it's a bit of a haul, but still a short distance and faster than walking. (I'd say it's similar to many of the similar climbs in DC, heading away from downtown or the Potomac).

[Omar]

I imagine Georgetown students might want their own system for cost reasons—a $75 annual fee is a little harder for a student to bear. Maybe CaBi should offer student discounts? If I were a Georgetown student, I'd advocate for CaBi memberships to be included in the campus activity fee.

[charlie]

@Jacques; well that is truly puzzling thing; there is far more room on the wilson side. We walked it last night and our best guess is the station will go in next to the garage opening (by Enterprise); there is some paint already done there.

My 2 cents is it i being dictated by the solar panels -- thank god we have a height limit in DC and plenty of sunshine on the street level.

[washcycle]

At a DC BAC meeting they talked to us about placement. It wasn't as easy as you might think. They need a pretty large space clear of anything and they can't interfere with pedestrians, and yes, the solar panels are limiting factor as well.

[Uno000]

I was at the February meeting of the Arlington BAC. I believe that the Orange corridor hopes to get several additional stations over the next few months. I have the link somewhere, I'll post when I find it.

[JJJ]

The math is simple. Cabi doesnt have to start worrying about "crowds" until they get well north of 20,000 subscribers.

[SJE]

If there is a problem with too many bikes in the wrong locations, CaBi could offer credits for riders going to an empty spot.

[Upside]

I've been walking past the CaBi station on Florida and R for the last month or so, and I've often seen it completely full in the evening. Last night, I was walking past it as a women rode up and she let out a nice swear when she realized all the spots were full. It was late and I kind of felt bad for her having to find another station, which might have meant walking quite a distance to her home. This needs to change.
My GF also tried doing a one time rental a few weeks back - she had a lot of problems as I watched her try to rent one with her credit card. She payed, only to find that the bike wouldn't release from the rack. Another two times through the payment system and finally she found a bike that would release. The LCD screen is very non-responsive at that site - and makes it really hard to use.

[ZDD]

When was the last time we had a discussion about having TOO many cyclists being a problem?

[Deb]

Something that might not be obvious is that what we actually bought was a voucher for a membership, and the voucher is good until October 8.

In other words, at least some of us aren't even going to be redeeming our voucher for membership right away.

[Michael H.]

Installation of the Rosslyn/Court House CaBi stations has been delayed, according to the official CaBi Facebook page. No word on the new date but it won't be this week.

www.facebook.com/CapitalBikeshare

[Michael H.]

By the way, how come there's no link to the Capital Bikeshare website in the list of Links on the left-hand column here?

[washcycle]

I don't do a very good job of managing the links is part of the problem. And then I usually don't give away links to for-profit enterprises (though there may be some).

[oboe]

My GF also tried doing a one time rental a few weeks back - she had a lot of problems as I watched her try to rent one with her credit card. She payed, only to find that the bike wouldn't release from the rack. Another two times through the payment system and finally she found a bike that would release.

FYI, I've seen this before. If you take hold of the back of the seat and lift the back wheel up about a foot or so, the bike will almost always release.

[Upside]

Thanks for the tip oboe ! I hope other new users don't encounter the same problem.

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I would be concerned about this. To me, the system has very little utility if I arrive at a station and can't get a bike. I almost always check online to see whether there are bikes available before I get to the station and I usually check my destination to see if there is an open slot to drop off the bike. But, even with that level of detail I have been foiled by CaBi. I have arrived at a station to find that the bike I thought was available was actually waiting for service and couldn't be checked out. I have also arrived at a Kiosk to find it non-responsive and requiring someone to physically come there and reboot the thing. Believe it or not I'm a supporter and want to see it work but for time sensitive trips I think using this system is still pretty risky. One idea would be to offer a "premium" membership to users of the system that would pay slightly more for a "guaranteed" trip. The way I see this working is that you have to "reserve" your trip ahead of time using the website. Then CaBi does whatever they have to do to "guarantee" that you have a bike waiting for you at your origin and an open slot at your "destination". This is a feature I would gladly pay extra for because I like the utility of Bike Sharing but I do not like the uncertainty. I'm sure others besides myself would pay to have that uncertainty removed.