Bike Sharing introduced in North America

From www.twincities.indymedia.org

Submitted by H. Stone on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 15:03

Six biking and walking projects will receive more than $4 million in grants from Bike Walk Twin Cities, a federally-funded program to increase biking and walking and decrease driving in the metro area.

One of the projects is the Minneapolis Bike Share Program, which received a $1.75 million grant, will be run by Nice Ride Minnesota, a nonprofit organization. The program will place 1000 bikes at 75 security kiosks throughout Minneapolis.

Bike Share riders will have the option of purchasing a season pass for about $50, and may check out a bike at any time and return it to a self-service kiosk of their choice. The first 30 minutes are free and additional time is available for a small fee. In addition, day passes are available. In Minneapolis, the program will run from April through November. The Bike Share Program is expected to be operational by summer 2010.

Also part of the program is a radio frequency identity system, based at the new U of M Bike Center, will permit bicyclists, who install an identity tag on their bikes, to earn benefits and incentives, such as reduced costs for tune-ups and commuter goods by simply validating their bike trips.

According to U of M President Robert Bruininks “This center becomes more than a secure place to park your bike and change clothes; it’s a community space that rewards existing bike commuters and welcomes new bicyclists to our campus with services to make their rides more efficient and convenient.”

The U of MN Bike Center, which will receive $524,000 in Bike Walk Twin Cities funds, will serve 6,000 cyclists on campus, as well as other commuting cyclists, and will be located in the now dormant Oak Street Parking Ramp transit station waiting area, located at Oak and Delaware Streets SE.

In addition to the RFID system, the center will include an electronic bike trip-planning kiosk, 24-hour accessible secure bike storage, changing facilities, repair service and bike retail opportunities, as well as public meeting space. Construction could start this summer.

These grants are the third series awarded through Bike Walk Twin Cities. In June 2007, $7 million was granted to 30 projects, and in July 2008, $1.8 million was granted to five projects. Other projects announced today that receiving Bike Walk Twin Cities funds include corridor biking and walking improvements in Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Edina.

I could easily envisage such a project in a small city like Asheville. A dispersement of large numbers of bikes would immediately be welcomed by such a forward-thinking community and would enhance the walkability in downtown. It is also a bold and daring concept in America's Southeast, whereas such projects have long existed in sections of Europe. Asheville city officials need to realise the future is alternative/green transit, not the automobile as was the case in the last century. Such a move would have splendid, far-reaching benefits because it would increase the appeal of downtown, encourage abandonment of automobiles in exchange for bicycles, decrease vehicle traffic in exchange for increased foot traffic (and subsequently impact businesses), and make the region an even bigger leader in the push to "go green".