News Mar 20, 2013 at 4:00 am

Why Bike Share Is Still a Year Away

Comments

1
Sam Adams committed this City to dozens of new programs in his rush to build a "legacy" as he was on his way out the door.

The new Mayor and Council are bearing the weight of that legacy now --as it falls to them to untangle all of these half-baked projects.
2
Typical govvy program. Spend the money on consultants. They work with companies and deliver the most expensive solution possible or...just consult forever. Instead.... go to all the second hand shops and buy up all the used bikes. Spraypaint them orange or whatever, put them all over town. If used bikes are short supply in pLand, go to thrift shops in Vancouver for example :) see, people who ride a lot buy their own bike so .. public bikes do not need to be so fancy, the stations and controls cost more than used bikes.
3
Regarding the bike rental biz competition and the trimet concerns... unrelated and completely made up fears. Here in Eugene the bus system went NUTS. They have these giant 'flex buses' now. Whoever signed THAT contract got a good payday. To artificially boost the ridership #, there is no charge on the express buses. They took out a lane of traffic and then the city put bike lanes BETWEEN the bus lane and the traffic lanes when nearly un-used streets are a short block away. Then.... unless you live along the routes...the feeder system is barely functional. I conjecture based on what I see here: Bus system is an example of what happens when government gets involved in such basic functions... it is an example of the waste and bloat a bike swap program would induce.
4
Lastly: whatever they do... try what is called "rapid prototyping".....test the concept on a tiny scale in one area. Make it really easy for people. My guess? The bikes will just sit there. They will have to advertise frequently to get anyone to actually use the bikes. Why? Again.. people who ride a bike tend to OWN ONE. Another obvious solution: for what PLand is paying consultants, they COULD SIMPLY SUBSIDIZE THE PRIVATE-SECTOR BIKE RENTALS! (!) Simple to put vouchers online, at the airport, all the hotels, etc, etc. Anyone can bring the voucher to a bike rental shop and the shop owner submits them for reimbursement with signed receipt of renter and a copy of their ID attached. I am surprised the bike rental concerns don't arrange that with Pland.
5
Something about this article reads, "Birthday Swag!" ...grown enough not to put rims on it!

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