Bike Share Program Proposed for Jacksonville

[thelakelander]

During a recent trip to Uptown Charlotte, they seemed to be managed well. In fact, they seemed to attract people to Uptown by being a "thing to do" in the central business district that wasn't offered in other areas of the city. The place felt alive even on a Sunday, which is much more than what we can say locally.  While things like bike share are minor when isolated, the situation is a microcosm of a larger dark cloud hanging over downtown.

We have too many dinosaurs with hands in the cookie jar of the decision making process. It's not the 1980s anymore. At some point, we'll need to decide if we just want to be a place that looks nice for those driving on I-95 to South Florida and Orlando or if we really want life and vibrancy in the CBD. Life and vibrancy will mean allowing things, processes, places and people that we've avoided traditionally.

[bl8jaxnative]

Now that bike share systems around the world are dying  (because of scooters) COJ will say they were smart not to do anything

No worries, scooters will burn out just the same.  These things are largely a fad enabled by silly amounts of capital desperately chasing even the craziest of investments.     As the baby boomers are nearly 1/2 retired, that capital's going to be drying up.  A lot of these companies won't be around after that.

[fieldafm]

As the baby boomers are nearly 1/2 retired, that capital's going to be drying up. 

You do realize that the allocation of capital extends beyond US baby boomers, yes? Money doesn't only come to the US by way of wooden ships carrying Spanish bullion and British silver any longer.

 

[Kerry]

I'm 50 and I use bikeshares everywhere I go.  When we were in DC a few months ago there were lines at bikeshare stations waiting for bikes and people of every age were riding.

[bl8jaxnative]

As the baby boomers are nearly 1/2 retired, that capital's going to be drying up. 

You do realize that the allocation of capital extends beyond US baby boomers, yes? Money doesn't only come to the US by way of wooden ships carrying Spanish bullion and British silver any longer.

What happens when the biggest, wealthiest generation ever retires?   They take their money out of investments and put it into cash.  This biggest generation ever exists everywhere, western Europe, China, Brazil, et al.   Other than the US, not a damn one of them has a replacement generation.  They're all falling off a demographic cliff.

There will be still be capital looking for investments.  But it's a return to normal.  It won't be easy to find investors willing to throw $1.6 billion at a company that has all of $16m / year in revenue.

[tufsu1]

^ The echo boom (millenials) is almost as big - and they are the driving force behind the disruptive economy that brings us things like bike share and scooters.

[Kerry]

In the generational wars - bicycle infrastructure is cheaper than automobile infrastructure.  Guess which one will when the money dries up.

[Ken_FSU]

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/council-approves-one-year-pilot-program-for-e-scooters-and-e-bicycles-downtown

Happy to see it moving forward, while simultaneously worried that it's destined to fail.

$10,000 performance bonds per vehicle seems like a steep request when a lot of these companies are struggling to begin with in smaller markets (and pulling out with more frequency).

I also think it's a huge mistake limiting the boundaries to just the northbank core below Beaver Street, from the JRTC to the stadium. Effectively cuts off the entire Southbank, Brooklyn, and Main Street/Springfield Business District.

As an electric scooter owner who works in the northbank core, everything I need to do is fairly easily walkable, with the exception of popping into Brooklyn, or hopping into Springfield or San Marco for lunch. That's where a scooter comes in so handy without having to pull your car out of the garage.

[acme54321]

I see one reason to keep them in the Core.  There's really no easy way to get out of the core.  Aside from the Riverwalk all of the ways out of DT are very narrow sidewalks.  Seems like there could be a lot of conflict with peds trying to cross the bridges.  Ever tried to ride a bike across one of the bridges on the sidewalk? 

[Steve]

I see one reason to keep them in the Core.  There's really no easy way to get out of the core.  Aside from the Riverwalk all of the ways out of DT are very narrow sidewalks.  Seems like there could be a lot of conflict with peds trying to cross the bridges.  Ever tried to ride a bike across one of the bridges on the sidewalk? 

Related, FDOT recently painted bike lanes on the Acosta

[acme54321]

I see one reason to keep them in the Core.  There's really no easy way to get out of the core.  Aside from the Riverwalk all of the ways out of DT are very narrow sidewalks.  Seems like there could be a lot of conflict with peds trying to cross the bridges.  Ever tried to ride a bike across one of the bridges on the sidewalk? 

Related, FDOT recently painted bike lanes on the Acosta

Actual lanes or just marking the shoulders.  I do bridge laps occasionally but it's not fun with cars flaying around.  Don't do it so much anymore.  The new pedestrian bridge on the Filler Warren is auch bigger deal than most understand.

[Peter Griffin]

Ever tried to ride a bike across one of the bridges on the sidewalk?

You're not supposed to do that. Bicycle lanes or share the lane with cars, as sketchy as it is.

Biking on the Acosta is relatively safe, and the Main St bridge is at least low-speed traffic, and the Fuller Warren is about to get a shared use path. Not only that but you can take a bicycle on the Skyway and get across the Acosta that way. I've ridden my bike across many times, it's no more difficult than riding on the road regularly (except for the grades, but that's just a good workout)

The only REALLY bad bridges are the obvious ones: the Mathews and the Hart. I wouldn't ever DREAM of taking a bicycle up there, nor walk.

[thelakelander]

Park Street is also an easy bike ride between Riverside, Brooklyn and LaVilla. There are options....signage would help though.

[Peter Griffin]

Park Street is also an easy bike ride between Riverside, Brooklyn and LaVilla. There are options....signage would help though.

I believe Park is getting a road diet in Brooklyn at some point in the future to help with that

[bl8jaxnative]

As the baby boomers are nearly 1/2 retired, that capital's going to be drying up. 

You do realize that the allocation of capital extends beyond US baby boomers, yes? Money doesn't only come to the US by way of wooden ships carrying Spanish bullion and British silver any longer.

We're talking about the biggest generation the US has every had.  And we're talking about the richest generartion the US has ever had.   And S. Korea, Japan, Germany, France, at al. all have baby boomer generations.  They're all desperately trying to get every last penny out of those investments as they all start to retire.   That is beyond a gigashitton of capital wildly sloshling around the markets.

And everywhere else except the US, there is no replacement generation.  When the boomers retire, their capital markets dry up.

And no, literally _ALL_ capital is gone.  BUt it's going to be the difference between $50 prime rib being offered at at $5 all you can erat buffet and the grissly, greeasy stuff they offer at Golden Corral for $12.

It'll still be there but vastly, vastly different.   If you want to start an eSkateboard share company, you're going to need a business plan that's got good cash flow and relatively immediate payback.  AKA, back to normal.  You're not going to see these investors throwing a billion dollars at a company that gets paid $1.87 at a time.  You can't even cover operating costs with that model, let alone a decent ROI for investors.  Remmber, they know they're going to lose money on some investments so they want to make sure they have some home runs in others to offset those.   

If eScooter sharing survives, it's likely going to be small scale and requiring some local direct subsidies, the way bike shares were a few years ago.   But that's just my two bits worth.  They may have already figured out how to massively lower their high costs.  If they'd done that - the news of it isn't out yet - but if they have that could make the model viable.