The Phenomenal Success of Capital Bikeshare

Comments

[Omri]

And now it's up and running in Boston! A major success so far.

[oboe]

Remember all the naysayers in the early days of CaBi. And now the biggest critique you hear is that users occasionally don't wear helmets.

This is the thing about progressive politics: it's very easy to make the case against it so long as no one can actually use it. You saw this with CaBi, you see it with health care reform, and you see it with the streetcars on H Street.

Can't wait until the H Street streetcar is up and running so that people can use it. The hardest part is overcoming folks' prejudice against collective action that's been cultivated by a half century of GOP propaganda.

[washcycle]

On GGW someone was saying there would be blood in the streets because of all these newbie cyclists...didn't really come to pass.

[Montrealize]

Helmets are disproportionally featured on bike share users in this video.
Are these people walking around all day with their helmets under the arm just in case they decide to grab a bixi?
If that was the case, Melbourne bike share would not be in such a trouble.
Bike share programs need transparancy not PR image spin doctoring.

[Jacques]

I actually think the "nobody wears helmets" critique is a bit overblown.

I use a helmet about 80-90% of the time I ride Bikeshare. I keep a helmet at home, and one at the office, and a majority of my trips start at one of those places. I also don't find it too hard to throw a helmet in a backpack if I'm heading out across the city.

Anecdotally speaking, I would say that 30% or so of the people I see on CaBi bikes wear helmets, particularly of those riding at rush hour. Is it a majority? Not close. But it's also far from "nobody."

[dayglo]

I'm thrilled that it's successful, but let's wait to see how it does in the winter, when cycling usually drops dramatically, before we declare complete financial success for CaBi.

[Richard Layman]

How come I haven't lost 25 pounds? I've been biking for years...

[Ron Alford]

@RL: "How come I haven't lost 25 pounds? I've been biking for years..."

That's the problem.