Spokies

[Just the facts]

This is designed to serve a geographic area, not a demographic group. It neither targets nor excludes anyone based upon income.

This program didn't use local taxes, it's a hit, and it's expanding. Why do you hate bicycles so much?

It probably isn't an opposition to bicycles as much as it is some groups are just used to being first in line for taxpayer funded programs and they get a little defensive when someone else gets priority/consideration.

[LandRunOkie]

Those place are still pretty far away for a bike ride given the streets people would have to ride on. Maybe if there was a dedicated bike path which could connect all those places someone might brave it. However, the three main target populations for these types of programs are 1) People who work downtown, 2) tourist, 3) downtown residents who don't have bikes due to small living space. If you live in Linwood why would you pay for a Spokies membership when you could just buy a bike at Wal-Mart for $100 (or $10 at a yard sale)?

The Medical Community is a little over a mile away from 10th and Broadway. Why would someone pay $75 a year for unlimited bike usage? Because they have carpel tunnel or arthritis and can't maintain their own bike? Because they would like to ride a $500 bike without buying a $500 bike? Because it is a good deal for short rides? In other words the same reasons the downtown bigshots would want to ride Spokies.

Better yet, why would you rent a bike in the medical community, or Stockyards City, or anywhere else when you can't ride somewhere else and return it to a different rack? You're just going to ride it around in a circle for 30 minutes and drop it off at the same place?

I think you are not aware of how close these underpriviledged neighborhoods are to downtown. Linwood is about a mile away and so is the Medical Community. You would have to ride your bike at under 3 mph from these locations to not make it to the closes station within 30 minutes.

This is designed to serve a geographic area, not a demographic group. It neither targets nor excludes anyone based upon income.

Geographic areas don't vote. Geographic areas don't have a voice.

It probably isn't an opposition to bicycles as much as it is some groups are just used to being first in line for taxpayer funded programs and they get a little defensive when someone else gets priority/consideration.

I would say using government funds to empower people to transport themselves is one of the biggest bangs for the buck out there. Bicycling builds confidence, burns calories, enables employment.

[LandRunOkie]

If I have to spell it out for you, this centers around morality. Morality is the basis for legitimate authority/leadership. It's immoral to spend tax money for the benefit of downtown residents and retail to the exclusion of the nearby poor. That's why your accusation of entitlement is so far off base, Just the facts. But I have better things to do than argue about the immorality of a bicycle program.

[OKCisOK4me]

LandRunOkie,

Why don't you just petition for a few Spokies stations to be set up in, say, the Western Avenue District or some place like that, that's between downtown and where you're talking about. That way, the area between can be filled. It seems like that's the only thing that's gonna satisfy you.

[wev162]

Anyone know if there are any plans for a rack at the Legacy at Arts Quarter complex?

[CCOKC]

I like the options for the new kiosks but I think I prefer the Sheridan and Dewey location the best since I spend so much time at the Paramount and I already have a kiosk a block from my office on 9th street.

[Pete]

Spokies is sponsoring a series of Tuesday evening bike tours, starting with a food & wine tour on Oct. 1.

Bike use is free!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FoodWine

*****

Sign up today for the Food & Wine Bike Tour. The tour is absolutely free and led by an expert guide.

Bicycles for the tour will be provided, free of charge, courtesy of the Spokies bike share program. Reservations requesting Spokies bikes will be limited to 30 people per tour, but you're welcome to bring your own bike.

Spokies bike riders must be at least 16 years of age and sign a liability waiver before checking out the bike. Because of the size of Spokies bicycles, it is recommended that all riders be 5’3” or taller.

To reserve your space, complete and submit the following form. A separate form should be submitted for each attendee. Because the number of Spokies bikes is limited, completing this form doesn't guarantee that a bike will be reserved for you. We'll reserve the bikes for attendees on a first-come-first-served basis and email you a confirmation about 1 week before your scheduled tour.

Each tour begins at 6 p.m. and lasts about an hour and a half. For more information, click the Downtown OKC Bike Tours button at DowntownOKC.com.

Upcoming Downtown OKC Bike Tours:
Oct. 8 – Parks & Nature
Oct. 15 – Downtown Living
Oct. 22 – Public Works
Oct. 29 – Ghost Stories Tour

[CCOKC]

I went on the History tour that was led by Bob Blackburn last year and had a great time. I was actually thinking about that this morning as I was putting away my free Spokies t-shirt that I got on the tour. I don't wear a lot of t-shirts but I love this one. It fits so well and is very comfortable. I even got a free spokies bike helmet. I imagine these tours will fill up fast this year.

[Praedura]

Spokie-ing through downtown:

[warreng88]

Spokie-ing through downtown:

As much as I appreciated that video, it made me a little nauseous.

[ljbab728]

An update on Spokies.

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/3949641?embargo=1

[shawnw]

An update on Spokies.

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/3949641?embargo=1

Was wondering when that was coming out...

[shawnw]

When I was at the Paseo Arts Festival this weekend I saw that someone was there ON A SPOKIE. I admire that he did that instead of driving, BUT, he had to walk it around with him everyone because he didn't have a lock and was responsible for it, plus would be paying the extra charges beyond 30 mins... wonder what his total bill was for the round trip... might be time for him to pick up a craigslist bike for such adventures...

Also interesting, my sister from NYC said she liked our bikes better than their citibikes, which surprised me...

[Plutonic Panda]

Spokies gave me some major problems. I'll tell more a little later.

[bchris02]

I've noticed a lot of the bikes are in poor shape or completely inoperable. Also, if you rent a damaged bike and return it you could be charged for the damages even if you weren't the one to damage it. Make sure that your bike is in good condition before you rent it. Spokies is a great idea but for it to work people have to respect the property and not destroy it.

[shawnw]

You can report damage to a bike at the kiosk, which will lock it in place until it's repaired. So if you get a bike out, find that it's damaged, check it right back in and report the damage. Then check out a new bike. A pain, but necessary to have that paper trail.

[Plutonic Panda]

I understand that.

[Pete]

I'm not sure how this will affect the program, but COPTA is taking control of the Spokies program.

On March 27, 2012, the City entered into a professional services agreement with
Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc. to provide management services for the
Oklahoma City Bike Share Program (Spokies). The contract was renewed July 1,
2012 and July 1, 2013. The current contract expires June 30, 2014.

Bike share can be an effective complement to public transportation by increasing
mobility options and enhancing the overall tranportation network. Bike share
systems provide users of the existing public transportation system an option for a
short point to point trip. Due to the transit nature of the program and the
possibities that exist to further integrate Bike Share with the existing public
transportation system, the City has requested that COTPA accept administrative
responsibility for the program.

[shawnw]

I always suspected this would happen eventually.

[Rover]

Is this a bad thing?

[shawnw]

So long as its treated as an integrated part of the system and continues to grow I think it's fine. If it gets pigeon-holed and thus doesn't change or grow then it's a problem.

[Plutonic Panda]

Glad they are expanding. I would like to see better quality bikes though and a helmet rental option. I also think it would be neat if they had an app where you could pay with your phone and use it to find other spokie locations.

The Spokies bike-share program has been under new management since August and will soon add another station.

Read more: http://journalrecord.com/2014/11/14/...#ixzz3JI3HmJgz

[warreng88]

M

Glad they are expanding. I would like to see better quality bikes though and a helmet rental option. I also think it would be neat if they had an app where you could pay with your phone and use it to find other spokie locations.

The Spokies bike-share program has been under new management since August and will soon add another station.

Read more: Pedaling product: COTPA to expand bike program | The Journal Record

Pedaling product: COTPA to expand bike program
By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record November 14, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Spokies bike-share program has been under new management since August and will soon add another station.

The Spokies program, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, was previously operated by Downtown OKC Inc., but is now being managed by the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority. Bikes can be rented through the Spokies membership program, which has three levels.

Memberships come with unlimited 30-minute rides and cost $5 for one day, $20 for one month, and $75 for one year. The bikes can be ridden for only 30 minutes at a time, then must be checked in and another bike can be checked out.

Megan White, COTPA marketing coordinator, said the authority will open a new station in the next six months and add 30 bikes to the fleet. The program started with 95 bikes and now has only 55, due to bikes being damaged beyond repair or going missing. In the last 12 months, 1,100 to 1,400 trips per day were recorded on the bikes.

White said a committee will review Spokies’ growth plan and determine a new location to best fit that plan.

Ultimately, COTPA would like to grow the program outside of downtown, but that comes with a challenge.

There was already a Spokies expansion plan in place, so that will be reviewed as the authority grows the program.

“Each station can only be a half-mile from each other,” said Jeanne Smith, Oklahoma River Transit manager and Spokies administrator.

The authority will soon enter into an agreement with Bicycle Transit Systems, the original bike-share group, to help improve the program. As Smith said, the program is meant to promote bikes as alternative transportation for quick 30-minute trips in the city.

“The main purpose of the program is transit,” she said. “You’re downtown and you want to go to lunch, so instead of jumping in your car, you jump on a bike. It’s mainly designed to cut down on traffic congestion.”

When fewer cars are being driven, air quality can improve. With COTPA in charge, the authority can cite the program when applying for federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grants, White said.

“It made sense as we’re writing grants that we can add that,” she said. “We’re already familiar with how those grants work.”

The program costs about $140,000 per year to operate, with only $35,000 covered by user fees; the rest is paid by sponsorships. The CMAQ grants can only cover the cost of new stations.

Smith said that in Boulder, Colorado, businesses volunteer to sponsor bike stations so one will be put in front of their establishments. She said businesses have seen that being near a station can draw new customers. She said COTPA would welcome business sponsorships. Ultimately, COTPA would like to integrate Spokies into the bus system with bike-share stations at bus stops, White said.

[Plutonic Panda]

Thank you. I wonder how much of the user fees will go up as downtown really gets going.

[Teo9969]

Bikes are not going to clean up congestion if they don't have their own lanes…worse yet the idea of them driving on short sidewalks.

That being said, I'm all for more locations and more biking. Sometimes the demand has to be demonstrative before the supply comes about…the supply in this case being biking infrastructure.