Update on bike-sharing: City launches new survey, website

A bike from Montreal’s Bixi
bike sharing system.
(Photo: Steve Durrant/Alta Planning)

With the first of their two bike sharing demonstrations coming Friday to Waterfront Park (followed by an event at Sunday Parkways this weekend), the City of Portland has ramped up its efforts to inform the public about how the system might work. They’ve also launched a new survey to garner feedback.

The survey is available online and PBOT project manager Steve Hoyt-McBeth says it will also be given via paper at the demonstration events. The survey asks a variety of questions, including; how often you’d use a bike sharing service in the Central City, how much you’d pay for an annual membership, whether or not you currently have access to a bicycle, what type of trips you usually take by bike, and so on.

In addition to the survey, the City now has a dedicated bike sharing website. It includes information on upcoming demonstration events and an F.A.Q. about bike sharing in general.

The City has also confirmed the four vendors for the demonstrations: Bcycle, Bixi (Montreal), The Bike Share Group (Seattle), and Portland Bicycle Share. (Learn more about each of these groups from our previous report.)

While Portland readies for its first chance to kick the tires of a bike sharing system, it’s interesting to note that we’re not the only city whose elected officials are being pressured to move slowly. Last week The Oregonian columnist Susan Nielsen wrote that the city should use caution in moving forward with bike sharing. She cited safety, cost, and aesthetic concerns among reasons for her opinion. Then yesterday, the Chicago Tribune ran an editorial expressing a very similar sentiment.

Two years ago, emboldened by successes in Europe, it seemed bike sharing would hit big in U.S. cities. But so far that hasn’t happened. Is America getting cold feet? Or is it simply a matter of no one getting it right (both the implementation and the public/political process) yet? Stay tuned.

Here are the details of upcoming demonstration events where you can learn more about potential bike sharing systems in Portland:

    Friday, August 14th
    Ankeny Pavilion (new Saturday Market space in Waterfront Park)
    10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

    Sunday, August 16th
    During Sunday Parkways Southeast at SE Oak at 37th Avenue (south side of Laurelhurst Park)
    9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Read all our coverage of bike sharing here.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Dave
14 years ago

My guess would be, as is often the case with other bicycle projects in the U.S., bike sharing systems that have been implemented are probably given an absolute minimal token funding, which isn’t really enough to do it well, then they don’t work well, and people say “look, bike sharing programs don’t work.” end of story. Either that, or the typical “nobody rides bikes here, so why spend money on bike stuff?”

are
14 years ago

from
http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=50814&

Bike sharing could help alleviate problems associated with the limited storage space for personal bikes on buses and MAX trains. TriMet’s survey of MAX riders who brought their bikes onboard found that 59% reported that their destination was too far reach on foot. If the riders’ final destination was within a conceptual bike sharing service area, bike sharing could negate the need for these riders to bring their bikes onboard.

esther
esther
14 years ago

The first is on the waterfront this Friday from 1030 to 6 or so I think. Second is at Sunday parkways.

esther
esther
14 years ago

Here’s the most up to date info on places and times. Looks like there’s some conflicting info out there but I’m pretty sure this is most accurate…
http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=50814

Sorry for the confusion about the dates. I’ve edited the story and have posted dates/times/locations for both demonstration events. thanks. — Jonathan

Carl B.
Carl B.
14 years ago

Whenever I’m downtown, I already have my own bike with me because I rode it there. It seems to me that bike sharing would be most useful for tourists and people coming to town from the distant suburbs.

Those people would have to have a car parked downtown or a way to get back to wherever they came from on transit. When you include walking, waiting, and transfer time, door-to-door times for TriMet are usually longer than biking.

Bike sharing would be a lot more likely to succeed if it could start out really big, with the ability to pick up and drop off bikes all over the city and nearby suburbs. If it starts in the central city only, it may never be able to grow enough to become useful to very many people, because not enough people will sign up in advance of it becoming useful to them, and revenues will be too low to pay for expansion.

Vance Longwell
14 years ago

There’s tons of bikes for rent in Portland. How will competition from the city help these other local businesses? Why is it called, “Sharing”, when you have to rent them?

This marketing ploy was tiresome from the Car folks doing the same thing with ZipCar, or whatever it is. This is a bicycle rental outfit with a novel approach to distribution. Big deal.

I say, support local businesses that rent, and keep the city out of it.

q`Tzal
q`Tzal
14 years ago

Subsidise local bicycle shops for repair and upkeep costs so that they can administer the bike rental/sharing plan for free.

I trust the local bike shops to do this much more efficiently than the goverenment.

Bike shops would then essentially have rolling billboards for their product. Maybe a rent to own option. New rider could try out several types of bicycles before deciding what they want to own.

All of which is no more sleazy than Cash for Clunkers.

Michael M.
14 years ago

I look forward to seeing the demonstrations, but my initial reaction is pretty skeptical. I’m just not convinced that Portland has the native and tourist populations needed to make this kind of thing financially viable. People funnelled into downtown via MAX or busses are most likely near enough to their destination to walk. People visiting and interested in cycling are just as likely to rent a bike they can keep for the duration (or some portion thereof) of their stay as to use a bike-sharing bike. I’m having a hard time imagining why I would ever use this myself, but I suspect that’s true of most people who would read a blog called “BikePortland.”

Still, I’m glad the powers that be are thinking about this. It’ll be interesting to see what happens.

Brad
Brad
14 years ago

Why? Portland is a rather compact city with a large percentage of bike owners and regular bike users. Is this really necessary? Wouldn’t the initial civic investment be better spent on more dedicated bike parking in the downtown core? Tax money for locals first!

If tourists want to ride around our city, let them rent from local concerns as that money benefits the local economy rather than being passed by the city to an out-of-town corporation. If demand is large enough, I imagine the hoteliers would get in on the action with rental or loaner fleets.

I fear this is just an expensive / low return pet project for elected officials to “bikewash” themselves. If it fails, then it is a black mark against future bike projects that could make a real difference.

Perry
Perry
14 years ago

@are (#2) – that scenario is really the only one I can come up with that seems like it would have a chance of actually working.

My God, I find myself in agreement with Vance Longwell…if somebody can make a viable business (maybe in partnership with Tri-Met?) then great, otherwise, spend tax money on other stuff.

are
14 years ago

re Perry comment 10.
yeah, I flagged that quote because I was reluctant to participate in the survey unless I could think of a scenario in which I myself might use such a service. the closest I could get was, no space on the MAX for my own bike and a long walk at the other end. and sure enough, they did actually mention this. but my view is they should put more hooks on the MAX.

alistair
alistair
14 years ago

My questions is how do we bring NEW people into using bikes, and leaving cars behind?

I’m just arranging for 20 folks to come to PDX for a series of meetings. MAX from the airport – check. Hotel next to buses and amenities – check. Simple way to get between our three location each a mile or two apart. NOPE.

Most people would say lets Drive/Max downtown then got to a bike shop and rent a bike for a day. I like the idea of them helping repair and administer but not as the source.

tbird
tbird
14 years ago

“Or is it simply a matter of no one getting it right (both the implementation and the public/political process) yet? ”

Well, that’s the case with biking in general in the US. But, yeah I think this is the major obstacle. We see models worldwide, but then for some reason we try to re-invent the model, instead of imitating it. Same with infrastructure. In this case I think the two are inter-related. Without proper infrastructure and without proper implementation; bike sharing will struggle. A project like bike sharing is really designed for tourists, or people not in possession of a bike while in our city. Meaning they may not be a regular rider of the streets, so it’s best to provide lowest common denominator type infrastructure to accommodate the rider and the bike share system together.

jon
jon
14 years ago

this would be a bike system for pedestrians, not cyclists. cyclists already have their bike with them. this is more like a pedestrian hopping on a bus/taxi to their relatively close destination. the point is your not tethered to your bike. you dont lock it up rather you just return it when finished with it and for all youre concerned youll never see it again. probably the best opinion for this as far as those who would likely use it are random people on the sidewalks around downtown or on trimet.

Roger Louton
Roger Louton
14 years ago

The new BIXI bicycles are designed by Michel Dallaire, and are manufactured in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada by Cycles DeVinci. I think ANY bike sharing system should be utilizing bicycles made in the USA, and contracted thru a USA company, especially if ANY of our tax $ go towards the program.

And yes, what about the companies in town that RENT bicycles already? This will hurt their bottom line.

Lurker B
Lurker B
14 years ago

It drives me a little crazy to see the comments saying this is just for tourists. I own a bike, but I don’t always want to take it with me. What if I want to make a one-way trip, or my plans change along the way, or don’t want to lock it up somewhere, or there isn’t room on the MAX, or I meet up with someone while only having one bike, or something is busted… There are a lot of reasons why someone may not want to have a personal bike for all trips. This would be a great option, if it can be accomplished without taking away from other important projects. I also hope that Portland is able to look beyond the city limits and work to make it a regional system.