Bike Share Program Proposed for Jacksonville

[thelakelander]

So the OKC example is an anomaly?

[Kerry]

I don't know.  The Tampa/St. Pete systems are government owned but are contracted out to an operator.  Plant City is trying to implement theirs now and the City thinks they can do it with minimal taxpayer costs but didn't rule it out.

[Kerry]

http://www.fox13news.com/news/local-news/st-pete-considers-companies-for-bike-share-program

Depending on which vendor is selected, it will cost somewhere between $1.2 and $2 million to start a bike share program in St. Petersburg.

Mayor Rick Kriseman proposed using $1 million from its settlement over the BP oil spill, but the city council rejected that idea. Now it is not clear how the city would pay for a bike share program.


I assume they found the money since they now have a system

[thelakelander]

Here's some info on Miami Beach's. The private bike share operator that had a contract with the city to be an exclusive program made a complaint when Lime entered the market on their own:

Miami Beach's Citi Bike rental program is extremely simple: You pay a small fee, pick a bike off a rack, and ride it to another rack and leave it there.

LimeBike, a Silicon Valley startup, is trying to streamline that process even further by removing the need for bike racks. You simply leave the bike on the sidewalk when you're done, and the brakes lock automatically.

"On July 5, 2017, the city received a report from CitiBike of a potential rogue bike-sharing operation taking place on Michigan Avenue near Lincoln Road," Morales wrote. "'Limebike' was identified as an unauthorized bike-sharing operation."

It's unclear how the LimeBikes ended up in Miami Beach, but signs point to nearby Key Biscayne, which last month became the first U.S. city to officially roll out a LimeBike program.

But as new bike-sharing companies sprout around the nation, the battle shows that the bike-sharing world, much like the ridesharing and home-sharing "industries" before them, are becoming increasingly crowded, and more than a few turf wars might be imminent.

The Beach's Citi Bike — which launched as Deco Bike in Miami Beach in 2011 before being renamed in 2014 — is a private company that contracts with Miami Beach and the City of Miami, and likely isn't too happy to see an allegedly cheaper bike-sharing program pop up in town.

According to Morales, because Citi Bike is Miami Beach's "duly authorized exclusive bike-sharing provider," any other service that tries to operate a similar program is apparently illegal. Any new bike-share, after all, would cut into the Citi Bike business model and sap tax revenue from Miami Beach.

https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami-beach-cracks-down-on-limebike-rogue-bike-sharing-start-up-competitor-to-citibike-9489640

[ProjectMaximus]

I don't know.  The Tampa/St. Pete systems are government owned but are contracted out to an operator.  Plant City is trying to implement theirs now and the City thinks they can do it with minimal taxpayer costs but didn't rule it out.

It appears the OKC network is also operated by a private contractor. http://www.bicycletransit.com

[thelakelander]

If a private operator can successfully launch, operate and maintain a system without public subsidies, that sounds like a good thing. I'm under the impression cities subsidize when it is believed the market isn't strong enough to support a self-sustaining operation. Am I wrong in my thinking?

[Kerry]

I don't know.  The Tampa/St. Pete systems are government owned but are contracted out to an operator.  Plant City is trying to implement theirs now and the City thinks they can do it with minimal taxpayer costs but didn't rule it out.

It appears the OKC network is also operated by a private contractor. http://www.bicycletransit.com

I can tell you what I do know, OKC paid for the start-up costs for their bike share system and the system is run under EMBARK, which is the public transportation component of the City of Oklahoma City.  When I called the number on my membership card to report a problem an EMBARK employee answered the phone and the 2 times I went in person to speak to someone it was in the EMBARK office and I spoke to a City employee.  As to how the system operates beyond that I couldn't tell you other than being part of the B-Cycle system, my membership was good in about 40 other cities.

Since it isn't clear in the article below, COTPA (Central Oklahoma Transit and Parking Authority) changed their name to EMBARK once the OKC Streetcar was rolled into their responsibilities.

https://www.bicycletransit.com/our-current-programs/oklahoma-city/

The City of Oklahoma City launched its Spokies OKC bike share program on Friday, May 18, 2012, which initially began with an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block grant administered by the City of Oklahoma City's Office of Sustainability. Spokies provides visitors, employees and residents with a healthy, affordable, and eco-friendly transit option for getting around the downtown Oklahoma City area.  Initially maintained by Downtown Oklahoma City Inc., Spokies became a member of the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority (COTPA) family of transit services in August 2014.  In January 2015, COTPA contracted with Bicycle Transit Systems (Bike Transit) for the ongoing operations and maintenance management of the system.  Bike Transit and COTPA immediately began the process of 'rebooting' the system, replacing outdated/worn components, removing rust, powder coating the bikes and updating the branding.

Soon after Bike Transit came onboard, EMBARK and Bike Transit partnered with Rocktown Youth Mentoring, an OKC-based 501(c)(3) that has been serving youth in the OKC community since 2001 through mentoring and adventure. In early 2015, Rocktown Youth Mentoring started a program "CYCLE REVOLUTION" at Emerson Alternative School in Oklahoma City, using the mentoring lessons they have learned through their rock climbing program to create a cycling program where they teach bicycle maintenance, safe road travel, and a combination of active transportation and recreation to students. Spokies provides bicycles for students to train on, and both Spokies General Manager Joshua Vaught and Head Mechanic John Quigley have served as mentors for Rocktown Youth Mentoring.  Furthermore, Bicycle Transit Systems recently hired one of the program's graduates for part-time mechanic work.

In August of 2016, Spokies relaunched with BCycle equipment, stations and bikes.

[Kerry]

If a private operator can successfully launch, operate and maintain a system without public subsidies, that sounds like a good thing. I'm under the impression cities subsidize when it is believed the market isn't strong enough to support a self-sustaining operation. Am I wrong in my thinking?

If a program can be self-sustaining then great, but for some reason there are several hundred bike shares across the US - from New York City to Kalamazoo, and Jax doesn't have one.  How do you explain it other than maybe the City of Jax needs to pony up some cash.

It would be nice to find a comprehensive list of US Cities/Towns with bike share systems but every time I find a list that claims to be comprehensive I find systems missing from the list that I know exists.

[thelakelander]

If a private operator can successfully launch, operate and maintain a system without public subsidies, that sounds like a good thing. I'm under the impression cities subsidize when it is believed the market isn't strong enough to support a self-sustaining operation. Am I wrong in my thinking?

If a program can be self-sustaining then great, but for some reason there are several hundred bike shares across the US - from New York City to Kalamazoo, and Jax doesn't have one.  How do you explain it other than maybe the City of Jax needs to pony up some cash.

I did speak with the operator of St. Pete and Tampa's bike share systems last year. At the time they were interested but felt the market was hard to break into. Money didn't seem to be issue. Moreso, it didn't seem like they had a willing public partner. Anyway, we should find out pretty soon what each of the four operators have proposed or if they think operating a self sustaining system here is possible.

[Jagsdrew]

Speaking of Bikes, the Bike lanes on Hendricks from San Marco square on south is nearing completion  Final layer of asphalt being laid down and striping is being painted.  Also, new traffic signals will be installed throughout which will be probably be the last item on the list to be completed.  Project took a little bit longer than anticipated (shocker) but it will be nice to have a strong bike artery heading into San Marco/Southbank and beyond.

Some neighbors complained that they took street parking away on Hendricks but they lost the good fight in favor of bike lanes.  Logically, a lot of side roads into neighborhoods can accommodate those parking issues.

[KenFSU]

If a program can be self-sustaining then great, but for some reason there are several hundred bike shares across the US - from New York City to Kalamazoo, and Jax doesn't have one.  How do you explain it other than maybe the City of Jax needs to pony up some cash.

Just a guess, but many (if not most) successful bikeshare systems tend to be first-mile/last-mile solutions for other mass transit systems. Maybe the market demand has never been as high in Jacksonville because we've never really had great transit for a bikeshare to feed into. With the JRTC under construction, the East Corridor of the First Coast Flyer going into service next month, and the Southwest corridor through Brooklyn, Five Points, King Street, and down through the westside into Orange Park likely coming on line by end of 2019, maybe these four companies feel like the market finally has the infrastructure in place to support a bikeshare.

If the JTA is going to open up their wallets, that money should be used for a marketing push once bikeshare goes live and the First Coast Flyer is complete. Yes, it's a bus system in mixed traffic, but it's still so much better than anything JTA has ever offered in the past. First Coast Flyer, combined with an urban bike share, a bike share at the beach station, and a station and bike share a little closer to UNF/Town Center really would provide a viable alternative to driving for a lot of people.

[ProjectMaximus]

I don't know.  The Tampa/St. Pete systems are government owned but are contracted out to an operator.  Plant City is trying to implement theirs now and the City thinks they can do it with minimal taxpayer costs but didn't rule it out.

It appears the OKC network is also operated by a private contractor. http://www.bicycletransit.com

I can tell you what I do know, OKC paid for the start-up costs for their bike share system and the system is run under EMBARK, which is the public transportation component of the City of Oklahoma City.  When I called the number on my membership card to report a problem an EMBARK employee answered the phone and the 2 times I went in person to speak to someone it was in the EMBARK office and I spoke to a City employee.  As to how the system operates beyond that I couldn't tell you other than being part of the B-Cycle system, my membership was good in about 40 other cities.

I got my info from your link. In fact, it was directly above the quote that you copied and pasted to this forum.
I believe you are correct about OKC funding start-up costs prior to the private company taking over O&M.

[Steve]

Some neighbors complained that they took street parking away on Hendricks but they lost the good fight in favor of bike lanes.  Logically, a lot of side roads into neighborhoods can accommodate those parking issues.

Off topic, but I was kinda disappointed about this. A couple things:

- On Street Parking can reduce speeds. Obviously not when there are zero parked cars like parts of San Jose, but it makes a difference in places where parking is used.
- For those that live on Hendricks, they bought their house with on street parking available. Now it's gone. For those that live mid-block, a guest at their house now has to park on a side street and walk half a block to their house? I'm not going to make it like a half a block is a crazy distance, but certainly less desirable than in front of their house (when they bought their house)

They did add back parking in a few places in the commercial areas - that would have been a mess for places like Metro Diner which has relied on on-street parking forever.

Am I the only one that thinks that taking parking away for bikes is sort of like something really nice to have for something that in places is a need? Hendricks Ave north of the San Marco split went through a tough stretch when they got rid of on-street parking.

Maybe I'm just not a fan of bike lanes. Bikes in an urban area sure and when you can fit the bike lane in, fine. Bur forcing it in on an existing street at the expense of something else? Not ideal to me.

[Kerry]

If a program can be self-sustaining then great, but for some reason there are several hundred bike shares across the US - from New York City to Kalamazoo, and Jax doesn't have one.  How do you explain it other than maybe the City of Jax needs to pony up some cash.

Just a guess, but many (if not most) successful bikeshare systems tend to be first-mile/last-mile solutions for other mass transit systems. Maybe the market demand has never been as high in Jacksonville because we've never really had great transit for a bikeshare to feed into.

I don't think that is the case at all.  There are far too many towns/city/college campuses with bikeshare systems that don't even have regional bus systems, let alone BRT or rail.   As for UNF/Town Center, I used to live near there and rode my bike to the Town Center regularly and it is as dangerous as it can possibly be.  You throw bikeshare in that environment and there will be daily fatalities.

[Kerry]

The City of Jax needs to get off its ass and take over this initiative.  A bikeshare system should cover downtown, Southbank, San Marco, La Villa, Springfield, Brooklyn, 5 Points, King St, Avondale, and maybe even Murray Hill.  A system focused on Skyway stations isn't going to cut it.