Bike Sharing In Jacksonville? Why Not?
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/2660133525_HcxLMfs-M.jpg)
Bike sharing systems are mushrooming in cities all over the globe. With the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) now looking into the feasibility of this popular alternative mobility choice, it may be only a matter of time before Jacksonville has a system of its own.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-aug-bike-sharing-in-jacksonville-why-not
Why Not? Could be like the RAM dock only open when RAM is open. OR, you could link Waterway nodes of organic infill corridors that would expand on a connectivity of vibrant destinations throughout our Urban Core that captures users to this alternative form of transportation.
We at Bike Jax have been doing research on Bike share for over a year now. What no one who keeps throwing out the idea of Bike Share in Jacksonville seem to take in to consideration are 3 very important details. These details are what make bike share so successful in other cites. (1) Infriastructure: Every city with bike share programs spent years building a network of cycling infrastructure in the forms of bike lanes, cycle tracks, and segregated paths. (2) Vibrant Urban Cores - Kinda self explanatory. (3) Tourism - Again, self explanatory.
With that said; Can Jax support a new alternative transportation system in the form of bike share? We think it can, we think enough so that a small system consisting of 14 stations throughout the urban core including San Marco. An additional 6 stations at the beaches and 4 stations at UNF and St. Johns Town Center.
We have just recently been contacted by a corporate entity that would also like to see bike share in Jax and would like to talk about making it a reality.
I personally have little faith in JTA being able to properly implement a functional and successful system. They have spent the last 30 years (with great pride) building roads that have little to no pedestrian or cycling facilities and breaking up 100+ year old grids. Their side job of mass tranit is one of the worst systems in the world. Yes, world.
The infrastructure just isn't here for something like this to be successful. Downtown itself is very bike unfriendly & honestly doesn't have enough going on. And the urban areas that are vibrant (like Riverside) frankly still aren't very good for this type of thing. And you have to remember that most bike sharers are novices who don't own their own bikes, so none of this would be attractive to any of them. Basically the only decent/safe area would be the Riverwalk, but that's simply not enough.
As far as doing a sharing program first to try to kickstart these things & spur this type of growth? Really?? Remember where you are, the people who are in control of these things & the fact that they wont even follow through with their own pedestrian/cycling mobility fee improvement plans that have been on the books for years now.
QuoteAn additional 6 stations at the beaches and 4 stations at UNF and St. Johns Town Center.
UNF is doing their own bike share system and received quite a few bids. They should be announcing the winning bid at the end of the month.
QuoteInfriastructure: Every city with bike share programs spent years building a network of cycling infrastructure in the forms of bike lanes, cycle tracks, and segregated paths
Bike infrastructure is certainly important. However, there are quite a few current and former Jacksonville residents who have worked for bike sharing companies and they have all looked at some very top level hypothetical plans within the In Town/Downtown neighborhoods and think it is workable. I tend to give credence to their experience.
QuoteI personally have little faith in JTA being able to properly implement a functional and successful system.
Hardly a JTA cheerleader myself, but there are a few things to consider:
a) there are few bike related organizations in the city that have the financial capability to implement such a system, so the area's only transit agency would be a natural fit
b) JTA's new leadership is interested (the old leadership wouldn't even blink an eye at the suggestion)
c) although private sponsors subsidize most systems nationwide, virtually no private sponsors will fund a feasability study... and an organization like JTA wouldnt necessarily have to do a feasability study (look at Tampa's system for example, they didnt do an expensive feasability study, they just put an RFP out and see who was interested- and apparently many were).
d) even though some City Council members are interested (important b/c you need to have public right of way access for bike share stations), JTA already has dedicated right of way access so you are again skipping a step.
e) I'm not 100% convinced a bike share system would work (I have reservations that aren't completely out of line with your own)... but there is never a 'perfect' time for anything in life. Sometimes, you have to get your hands dirty... nothing will ever change otherwise.
If Tampa can do it, why not Jacksonville?
Quote from: Bike Jax on August 13, 2013, 04:50:04 AM
We at Bike Jax have been doing research on Bike share for over a year now. What no one who keeps throwing out the idea of Bike Share in Jacksonville seem to take in to consideration are 3 very important details. These details are what make bike share so successful in other cites. (1) Infriastructure: Every city with bike share programs spent years building a network of cycling infrastructure in the forms of bike lanes, cycle tracks, and segregated paths. (2) Vibrant Urban Cores - Kinda self explanatory. (3) Tourism - Again, self explanatory.
There's at least three cities on the list (Tampa, Spartanburg, Des Moines) of "haves" that I'd argue fail at achieving all three points you mention. What do you think they have in their favor that makes bike sharing feasible in their communities?
I'm in Tampa. I don't see any bike sharing system.
One thing to remember is that it isn't everywhere in those cities. It is in small areas of the city.
^Yes. I'd assuming in Jax, whenever something comes, it will be limited to a small area as well. Oh, and Tampa's system is proposed. They issued and RFP and discovered a few bike share operators were interested and went from there.
QuoteWe are proud to announce that CycleHop and Social Bicycles have been selected by the City of Tampa to fund, deploy, and manage Tampa's public bike share program.
http://tampabikeshare.com/
As I understand it, CycleHop has also been chosen by UNF for their system.
Like BikeJax, TransForm Jax has done quite a bit of reserach on bike share systems. We have shared our information, which includes a preliminary map of potential stations, with the DIA and JTA
I love Bike Share. Used it in several cities on the list. Initially I had doubts that it would work, but there are several projects that appear to make it seem more feasible.
The extension of the Northbank Riverwalk, the proposed new Southbank, the new plaza in San Marco, Brooklyn Renaissance, etc.
I know nothing about required density or prospective places, but it would be nice to have a station at a few of those locations. All of them will be accessible by bike.
Maybe someone could shed some light on why those wouldn't work specifically?
Bike sharing is such a tourist thing...there aren't really tourists in downtown Jax. I could see someone starting up a segway tour before I can see bike sharing happening in any successful form. Biking in DT Jax doesn't seem intuitive to me, and it must be intuitive for a stranger or local visitor or non-biker (most bike share people seem like non-bikers bc most bikers naturally use their own). Where do you start? What's the route? Bike lanes? Directional signage? That sort of intimidation of the unknown and unintuitive environment is a biking nightmare.
Quote from: Bridges on August 13, 2013, 11:11:57 AM
The extension of the Northbank Riverwalk, the proposed new Southbank, the new plaza in San Marco, Brooklyn Renaissance, etc.
Perhaps stations along the riverwalk, but you don't want bikes and pedestrians mixing on that small walkway. Once off the riverwalk, where do the bikers go? The rough stone on the turnaround near the landing is an obstacle and there are no lanes or directional signage or really any destinations - so it would be like a joy ride for visitors looking to explore. They just need interesting scenery and clear routes that don't mix them dangerously with peds or cars.
This from this week:
Quote
A Bay Area bike share program in San Francisco, Redwood City, San Jose, Mountain View and Palo Alto will begin operating on Aug. 28 August 29, according to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. (Update 8/12, 4:46 PM: This report initially cited the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority as saying the bike-sharing program would begin on Aug. 28.VTA officials clarified today that it will actually begin on Aug. 29.)
The program's first phase is set to launch that day with 700 bikes available for rent at 70 stations and the second phase will add 300 bikes and 30 stations by end of the year, VTA General Manager Michael Burns said.
In Santa Clara County, the VTA provided matching funds to locate the bikes in San Jose, Mountain View and Palo Alto, where 400 of the total 1,000 bikes will be operating when phase two is complete, Burns said.
The Canadian-made, seven-speed bikes will be available for rent with memberships costing $88 per year, $22 for a three-day pass and $9 for a daily pass, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The $7 million program's bikes are intended for short trips of 30 minutes or less but borrowers may use them for longer periods for an extra fee, air district officials said.
The company Alta Bike Share was chosen to manage the bike share program, partnering with the VTA, the air district, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Caltrain and the San Mateo County Transit District, Burns said.
Alta Bike Share currently runs bike share programs in New York, Chicago, Boston and Washington D.C., Burns said.
http://sfappeal.com/2013/08/bay-area-bike-share-to-launch-this-month-with-700-bikes-at-70-stations/
I say work on bike racks, clean parks, and bike lanes first. I enjoy biking in the urban core but there are a lot of quirks to work out before money and energy is spent on this kind of endeavor. The city would be better off leasing the old Jax Maritime Museum space to a private rental company that could provide everything from segways to roller blades.
^If it were me, I'd just issue an RFP out to operators and gauge their interest. For all we know, the City's financial obligation could be as simple as allowing stations to be installed on public ROW. So, if there's interest, let someone move forward. If there's none, no money is wasted. Yet, regardless of that outcome, we should still be working to clean parks, create context sensitive streets, etc.
QuoteThe city would be better off leasing the old Jax Maritime Museum space to a private rental company that could provide everything from segways to roller blades.
Also, I believe the City plans to demolish those little buildings on the Southbank as a part of the riverwalk reconstruction.
Quote"Although there is a still somewhat of a love-hate relationship between cyclists and motorists, St. Petersburg is great place for bicycling,'' says Bayliss. "We have a lot of guys in who come to the area for three to four months of the year from places like Upstate New York so they can continue to ride with us in the winter.''
In addition to the bike clubs and bike lanes on city streets, St. Petersburg has also marked out numerous bike trails on city maps, and can claim a large portion of the Pinellas Trail, a 37-mile paved bike and pedestrian pathway that goes from Tarpon Springs to downtown St. Petersburg.
Now, with new bike sharing programs, St. Petersburg and Tampa will jump to the next level in embracing bikes as part of the culture.
http://83degreesmedia.com/features/bikes080613.aspx
So looks like Tampa has plans to eventually connect St. Pete with Bike Share.
Quote from: simms3 on August 13, 2013, 11:17:54 AM
Bike sharing is such a tourist thing...there aren't really tourists in downtown Jax. I could see someone starting up a segway tour before I can see bike sharing happening in any successful form.
have you looked at the US cities with systems...do all of these scream tourist mecca to you?
If it can work in Tampa's urban core, it can work anywhere.
Quote from: Bike Jax on August 13, 2013, 04:50:04 AM
(1) Infriastructure: Every city with bike share programs spent years building a network of cycling infrastructure in the forms of bike lanes, cycle tracks, and segregated paths.
This is the absolute most important thing. As much as I love riding, I'm very scared in Jax to do so. Putting in some bike lanes takes little more than some paint, it's pretty cost effective. I'd live to have separate lanes, but at this point I'd settle for a white line.
^It's important but not exactly true. There are a couple of cities that have not spent years building networks of cycling infrastructure, yet still have bike sharing systems. I don't see the harm in tossing the idea out there and seeing if any operators are willing to take the bait.
One thing I noticed about the bike sharing program in Alexandria, VA is each station had a map of bike friendly streets, multi-use paths, bike lanes, etc. This was important because once you get out of Old Town, density levels start to drop off pretty fast and you'll find yourself in Jax style environments.
If we did the same thing for the urban core of Jax, I bet we'd identify some decent corridors that make it easier to get around than most probably think. When you start combining areas like downtown, Riverside, Springfield and San Marco together, with the Skyway serving as the river connection, something logical and effective may start to stand out.
In the meantime, we should be striving to improve our cycling infrastructure regardless of bike sharing. For example, if that $9 million is snatched from downtown for roadway resurfacing, perhaps it should be spent on resurfacing projects that actually add bike lanes, cycle tracks, etc.
Below: an Alexandria, VA bike station map
Black = bike lanes/sharrows
Blue = bikes share lanes with cars
Red = off-street trails
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Learning-From/Washington-DC-2013/i-jS7DxtH/0/XL/P1660337-XL.jpg)
Quote from: tufsu1 on August 13, 2013, 02:40:08 PM
Quote from: simms3 on August 13, 2013, 11:17:54 AM
Bike sharing is such a tourist thing...there aren't really tourists in downtown Jax. I could see someone starting up a segway tour before I can see bike sharing happening in any successful form.
have you looked at the US cities with systems...do all of these scream tourist mecca to you?
Austin, Boston, Chattanooga, Chicago, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Miami Beach, New York, San Antonio, Washington DC, and now San Francisco. Some have separate tourist biking programs, but some have bike sharing that serves as their touristy bike program.
Of some of the other systems in the US: Madison, Boulder, and Atlanta - Georgia Tech are college campus oriented systems. I have ridden some of the small town systems such as in Omaha and they were primitive at best, and we were tourists.
To me bikesharing could work well like ZipCar - more than 30 minutes must be allowed. In car oriented areas you're shopping for groceries and goods by car and parking at your building. In walking cities you probably would find it easier to walk 1-2, maybe 3 blocks to get groceries and goods. Easier than bike riding. So that leaves bike share riding either for tourists or for commuting, but you can't do the latter in 30 minute time frames unless there is a bike share rack near both your home and your work and you can rely on a bike being there both ways. Plus as someone who also bikes a lot, it's always nicer having your own bike that you are comfortable with and used to.
I'm a proponent, don't get me wrong, but the model has to be tweaked and customized to best serve each individual area (whether that's an urban city, a car oriented city, a touristy city, a college campus, etc), and the infrastructure needs to be in place - that's imperative. Cycle tracks, sharrows, dedicated lanes and turn signals, signage, routes, marketing, awareness campaigns, destinations, etc. None expensive on their own, but enough together that warrant a serious focus and budget to make a success and to completely integrate cycling as a mode of transport for any purpose.
Quote from: simms3 on August 13, 2013, 11:24:30 PM
To me bikesharing could work well like ZipCar - more than 30 minutes must be allowed.
agreed...no system cuts you off after 30 minutes...it just isn't free anymore
Quote from: Bike Jax on August 13, 2013, 04:50:04 AM
We at Bike Jax have been doing research on Bike share for over a year now. (3) Tourism - Again, self explanatory.
Bike Jax guy or gal, would like to meet you on the Northbank and get your opinion on how to move bike racks forward at what should be immediate Public Access nodes that are presently not being utilized that would elevate everyone to the next level and transform dead zones into potential 24/7 vibrant organic clusters that will reclaim people back to the urban core. The first BOLD move would be at the Jim Love, Kevin Kuzel 26' Berkman floating dock compromise (Shipyards III) misrepresented by OGC to the Jacksonville Waterways Commission during the 2013 FIND grant application process.
Does anyone know the cost for a COJ bike rack?
^ don't know how much the bike rack poles downtown cost, but the new ones in Riverside were around $300 each
The riverside pole is that the one with the bike on top and two spots? How about the one on a school yard that could accommodate 12 spots or less. The cost is the same regardless of the area of Town I would hope.
http://planetsave.com/2013/08/20/copenhagens-new-bike-sharing-program-gonna-be-sweet/ (http://planetsave.com/2013/08/20/copenhagens-new-bike-sharing-program-gonna-be-sweet/)
I always say if you're going to do something, do it right or let someone who can do it right get it done. Check out Copenhagens new plan for combing train transit with a bike share system that includes GPS.
Honestly, I would love to see a bike share system in Jacksonville, but we have some serious work to do before we can get to a point in which bike share would be safe and useful.
As for who uses it - most of the people I saw using bike share systems in the US and London and Paris and Avignon recently weren't actually tourists. Just people who wanted to use a bicycle to get from point A to point B as opposed to mass transit, a car, or a cab. Some used them quite frequently, for short distances mostly. I think cycle share in Jacksonville would definitely have to be in dedicated areas (Riverside, San Marco, the Beaches, Town Center *shudder*, and others)
A major issue here though is safety as Florida is a far cry from being safe for cyclists or pedestrians, and especially with how driver's hate cyclists, cyclists who are rude/refuse to obey traffic laws (if they even know them), and driver's who are rude/refuse to obey traffic laws. We lack appropriate infrastructure, education, awareness, respect, decency, and so forth across the board on both sides (cyclists and motorists).
Not to mention, whenever we have implemented any sort of alternative transport in the city it essentially falls apart and never even comes close to it's desired goal (SkyWay, bus system).
Though, it would be cool if we were a town that could do a bike share program. But, there's a lot of stuff that needs to be done before we start doing bike share in say, Arlington or Mandarin or Southside or Baymeadows or the Westside or the Northside or San Jose or the University between San Jose and Arlington area (whatever that's called).
$300 for a bike rack? Holy crap! If we can build less expensive racks, we can put them all over town, I'd like to see them start in Avondale, Murray Hill, and more spots in Riverside. I love the bike share system in NYC, but I see that Citibank has put their name on the system, so why not sell ads to Everbank or Publix on them? Get a Public/Private partnership going, like Mayor "I'm With Alvin" ran on in his election, seriously, this needs some buy in at the corporate level, and we can start with 5 bikes per location, Hey RAP, get involved with this Carmen, come on, let's lead the way. We get more people riding bikes, we can alter the planning in the city, but planning will not do anything, as we have seen, until more people use bikes. I am hoping MM in Avondale will lead to more bike riding, and I think a rack of rental bikes there could be a great start. I know Leigh gives bike tours, this would be great for her business.
Is there a bike rack at Metropolitan Park marina? If not. Why not?
Who would be the contact person?
Why not?-Tuberculosis.
^ OK...that's just stupid...maybe do some TB research first
San Francisco rolled out its fairly massive bike sharing program yesterday. I was standing outside having a conversation with someone during "rush hour" and was able to count one bike from the program used out of close to 60 that passed by. The limitations with this program in my opinion are price and time. Basically, it's expensive. Also, you have 30 minutes to use...so it's good if you have a rack near your office building and near your apartment so you can commute, but the cost in my opinion is not worth it.
I'll continue to monitor.
I work on the Southbank. I commute by bus, usually. I'd rent a bike for the occasional errand... Ride over to the Square. Or, Skyway to Hemming and ride from there to wherever. But, not in June, July, August.
QuoteThe company behind America's biggest bike share programs just declared bankruptcy
Citizens of Montreal may be left with the bill
Bixi, the company that supplied the bicycles and stations for lauded bike sharing services in cities like New York, Chicago, and Montreal, has filed for bankruptcy, facing almost $50 million in debt it cannot pay. At the heart of its troubles is buggy software that has led New York and Chicago to refuse to pay millions of dollars, arguing that the promised upgrades to help track and analyze rides have not been delivered.
Full article:
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/21/5331014/the-company-behind-americas-biggest-bike-share-programs-just-declared
Downtown Lakeland is attempting to launch a bike share pilot program. The cost for operating the initial 30-bike fleet is $54,000 annually.
QuoteLAKELAND — Ditching the car in central Lakeland and cruising under pedal power will get easier with a bike sharing pilot program expected to hit two wheels as soon as November.
Under the likely vendor's program, riders could subscribe for around $25 a year and pick up an available bike for a limited amount of time, likely 90 minutes each day, or add time by paying more. Transactions would be through the Internet, phone app or text message.
The program, organized by the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority, is geared for quick crosstown jaunts — transportation, not necessarily recreation.
Rates will be set locally, not by the vendor, but the goal is to make it as inexpensive as possible to build interest and increase access, LDDA Executive Director Julie Townsend said.
Price and ease-of-use were major factors as the LDDA and city employees interviewed potential bike-sharing vendors, of which there are dozens nationally. After some eye-popping price tags, the group chose Zagster, a Boston-based bike sharing company with bicycle networks in several cities, business parks and college campuses throughout the nation, Townsend said.
full article: http://www.theledger.com/article/20151002/NEWS/151009864/1134?Title=Community-bikes-coming-to-downtown
Birmingham, AL seems to have just started a really strong program. They have somewhat of a dynamic station model based on the needs of the community. http://zypbikeshare.com/
I thought about reaching out to them to see whether it could be copied here in Jax but I just don't have the time to do any follow up so I didnt.
Quote from: thelakelander on October 03, 2015, 11:08:21 AM
Downtown Lakeland is attempting to launch a bike share pilot program. The cost for operating the initial 30-bike fleet is $54,000 annually.
QuoteLAKELAND — Ditching the car in central Lakeland and cruising under pedal power will get easier with a bike sharing pilot program expected to hit two wheels as soon as November.
Under the likely vendor's program, riders could subscribe for around $25 a year and pick up an available bike for a limited amount of time, likely 90 minutes each day, or add time by paying more. Transactions would be through the Internet, phone app or text message.
The program, organized by the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority, is geared for quick crosstown jaunts — transportation, not necessarily recreation.
Rates will be set locally, not by the vendor, but the goal is to make it as inexpensive as possible to build interest and increase access, LDDA Executive Director Julie Townsend said.
Price and ease-of-use were major factors as the LDDA and city employees interviewed potential bike-sharing vendors, of which there are dozens nationally. After some eye-popping price tags, the group chose Zagster, a Boston-based bike sharing company with bicycle networks in several cities, business parks and college campuses throughout the nation, Townsend said.
full article: http://www.theledger.com/article/20151002/NEWS/151009864/1134?Title=Community-bikes-coming-to-downtown
Wow that's awesome! Lakeland has honestly become pretty cool since I left. Very progressive thinking lately for a small town. Always something new when I visit. Mr. Studial, the head city planner, is a smart guy who really gets it and has pushed through a ton of progress!
So I'm back in Lakeland for the holidays and the bike share program is up and running. Couldn't tell how much use it's actually been getting but the system is pretty cool. It amazes me that little Lakeland can get a program like this funded and Jax can't. Tampa and Orlando also have a bike share program in place. Why do we have such a hard time with these things?!
Quote from: UNFurbanist on December 24, 2015, 11:51:33 AM
So I'm back in Lakeland for the holidays and the bike share program is up and running. Couldn't tell how much use it's actually been getting but the system is pretty cool. It amazes me that little Lakeland can get a program like this funded and Jax can't. Tampa and Orlando also have a bike share program in place. Why do we have such a hard time with these things?!
As always, I'm speaking as an outsider, who is hoping to become a local in 2017. The only things on our checklist that Jax doesn't have are (1) a great mass transit system, and (2) a pedestrian/cycling friendly layout. The second one of these is my answer to your question. It is not a city that values pedestrians and cyclists; it values the automobile 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We will make it work for us as the area that we are hoping to be in is pretty good for recreational cycling and walking/running, but if you are hoping to be a commuter cyclist in this town (or, have a long dedicated bike-way to get from say, the Beaches to DT), forget about it. And, if you take your bikes DT, you will quickly discover just how unfriendly a place THAT is for you. There simply is NO good place in this town to do any recreational cycling for more than a couple of miles, unless you go out to the Baldwin Trail, and that really is not a place that tourists want to go. This comes from generations of being pushed aside. It won't come back quickly. Just my two cents.
Lakeland has made a lot of strides over the last few years, but the urban core is just about as bike friendly as Jax's is now. If Jax truly wants bike share, it can be done. It's not rocket science.
Quote from: UNFurbanist on December 24, 2015, 11:51:33 AM
So I'm back in Lakeland for the holidays and the bike share program is up and running. Couldn't tell how much use it's actually been getting but the system is pretty cool. It amazes me that little Lakeland can get a program like this funded and Jax can't. Tampa and Orlando also have a bike share program in place. Why do we have such a hard time with these things?!
I believe our isolation does us a disservice in some areas. Lakeland has come to understand that it has to compete head-to-head against its larger neighbors for economic development and in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce. There, with Tampa being 20 minutes away and Orlando 40 minutes away in the opposite direction, the competition and the results of winning are easy to see. There's also nearby smaller cities wanting a bigger piece of Central Florida's pie like Brandon, Plant City, Kissimmee, Winter Haven, etc. (all more than twice the size of St. Augustine) to push you. Up here, we really don't have a bigger regional brother or two...or three to push us. Thus, it's easier to make excuses for not seriously investing in similar things.