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Thread: Spokies

  1. Default Re: Shared Bicycle Program Ready to Start

    Quote Originally Posted by Plutonic Panda View Post
    I would like to see better quality bikes
    I definitely agree with you here. When I was in SLC I used their bike share and the quality was soooo much better. I actually enjoyed riding that bike compared to Spokies somewhat uncomfortable bikes.

  2. #402
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    Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    I'm surprised no one has mention the new Thunder-colored branding (of the bikes and stations) and paint jobs (unless they are being outright replaced, but it looks like just paint jobs) all the bikes have gotten...

    https://twitter.com/SpokiesOKC/statu...75784799469568

  3. #403

    Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    Quote Originally Posted by shawnw View Post
    I'm surprised no one has mention the new Thunder-colored branding (of the bikes and stations) and paint jobs (unless they are being outright replaced, but it looks like just paint jobs) all the bikes have gotten...

    https://twitter.com/SpokiesOKC/statu...75784799469568
    I read about this a week or two ago. figured i read it on here. guess not. ha

    Me and my wife visited Chicago early June and used their bike share program everywhere we went. It was so convenient bc they had stations at or near every attraction in the city. over 100 stations i believe. They even have an iphone app to help you find the nearest station and it showed you how many bikes and empty stations there were. I hope OKC can follow their path and expand this way at some point in the future.

  4. #404

    Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    I love the program, but would have liked to see a better overall designed bicycle. I'm not complaining....more or less nitpicking. But in all the cities I've seen this program being utilized, they have all had newer, more streamlined/modern designed bicycles. Typically made of a lightweight aluminum. I don't know what materials were used in this bike..nor am I expert to really care...but they just look old fashioned, like a beach cruiser or like the Schwinns that my grandparents had back in the 60's/70's.

  5. Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    ^That is my only complaint as well. Low quality, heavy, clunky bicycles.

  6. #406

    Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    Quote Originally Posted by Filthy View Post
    I love the program, but would have liked to see a better overall designed bicycle. I'm not complaining....more or less nitpicking. But in all the cities I've seen this program being utilized, they have all had newer, more streamlined/modern designed bicycles. Typically made of a lightweight aluminum. I don't know what materials were used in this bike..nor am I expert to really care...but they just look old fashioned, like a beach cruiser or like the Schwinns that my grandparents had back in the 60's/70's.


    Not to pick on anyone here, but the history of OKC's system is a total amateur hour. Best practices were not followed and the system was done on the cheap. Basically some people decided it would be cool if OKC had a system but no one really knew how to make it happen so, in traditional OKC fashion they muddled through.

    In most cities there would be 2x to 5x the number of stations in just the same area Spokies now covers. The lack of density is a huge deterrent to usage, as is the small number of bikes, as is the low quality of the bikes, as is the difficulty in using the payment system, as is the lack of a smartphone app, as is general confusion as to how it works, as is the terrible website.

    The good news is that someone in power recognized the folly of the system and made changes. Spokies was moved out of Downtown OKC Inc. and into COTPA. COTPA has brought in a nationwide bikeshare consultancy to run the program and they have a high-qualified employee stationed in town to oversee it since about the first of this year. Struggles over funding still plague Spokies, but big changes are coming and have already been implemented.

  7. #407
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    Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    I'm cool with our system considering it had to be done on the cheapish side since it was started with grant money (so very limited budget) and until Embark picked it up we didn't know if it would even stay. I suspect the city will continue to make improvements ongoing.

    I will say that I've see and used a number of bike share programs (including in Europe) and have been most impressed by Phoenix's program up to this point. The reason is that, while they do have kiosks, each bike has a lock with a credit card reader on it. So you can lock the bike up wherever and then swipe your card to get it out, so the system is not constrained by the kiosks. So you she shared bikes all over town, not just at the kiosks, so if you need one, you just swipe your card and go.

  8. Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    Spokies launched a new location at Elemental today.

  9. #409

    Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    A Film Row location is desperately needed.

  10. #410

    Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    A Film Row location is desperately needed.
    Would love to see this branch out further from downtown - NW 23rd, Plaza District, Boathouse Row, Innovation, Maybe even Western Ave...

  11. #411

    Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    A Film Row location is desperately needed.
    We were asked several months ago if we had an objection to having one in front of our building (we didn't) but haven't heard anything since.

  12. #412

    Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    Shifting gears: Spokies bicycle-sharing program rolls out new look, station and sponsor

    By: Brian Brus The Journal Record July 10, 2015

    A Spokies bicycle, sporting a new paint job and an advertising panel, is parked at the program’s station at NW Eighth Street and Walker Avenue in Oklahoma City.

    OKLAHOMA CITY – Spokies gained Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma as a major sponsor this month as the downtown bicycle-sharing program installed its eighth station and refurbished the fleet.

    The $50,000, one-year advertising contract represents a significant step for the program, which is operated under a division of the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority, Embark Bike Share and River Transit Manager Jeanne Smith said. It proves the revenue-generating potential to integrate a biking lifestyle with the city’s mass transit system.

    The deal allowed the program to repaint and repair most of the 50 bikes in use and replace those that have worn out over the last three years. A new paint job – light blue instead of gray – makes the bikes stand out a little better against traffic, and each bike now has an advertising panel of about 2 square feet on either side of the rear tire.

    The stations where the bikes are locked – released by credit card purchase or online memberships – provide advertising space as well. Smith said the program is allowed to arrange sponsorships and signage under a city ordinance.

    “We’re looking at other systems around the country and how they do their advertising, so it’s a little early to say how this might ultimately develop,” Smith said.

    “Boston and New York have very heavily used transit systems with large hubs, so they operate a little differently than, say, Denver or Omaha.

    “We need to see what our market will support,” she said.

    Smith said officials hope Spokies use will become so widespread that residents and visitors will be able to seamlessly move from one transit mode to another, parking their cars and taking Embark buses or bikes more often. The upgraded stations include better mapping signage.

    Blue Cross spokeswoman Ashley Hudgeons said some of the company’s units in other states have similar marketing deals that have worked well – in Chicago, it’s the Divvy bike share program with 4,760 bikes, for example, and in Minneapolis, it’s Nice Ride Minnesota with more than 1,600.

    Hudgeons said executives approached the opportunity from two angles: They have a stake in helping the city develop a healthier, environmentally friendly lifestyle, and marketing exposure near vibrant residential and entertainment districts. Blue Cross and Blue Shield might consider expanding its sponsorship to other busy street corners, she said.

    The company was allowed to choose the site for the latest station. Hudgeons said Elemental Coffee, 815 N. Hudson Ave., was already a proven cyclist hangout, with a bike repair stand near the front door. And the monthly H&8th Night Market food truck gathering surrounds the spot.

    Elemental co-owner Laura Massenat said she was pleased to have the station on the corner of the coffee shop parking lot.

  13. #413

    Default Re: Downtown Bike Share Program

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeepnokc View Post
    We were asked several months ago if we had an objection to having one in front of our building (we didn't) but haven't heard anything since.
    Like a good neighbor, Hunsucker is there!!!

  14. #414

    Default Re: Spokies

    Rented a Spokies bike yesterday for the first time...

    Very convenient and now super easy to check out. Just put in your card, put in the bike # you want to pull, and then yank it out of the rack. It's $5 per day and you can check in and out as many bikes as you want in 24 hours.

    They are crazy *heavy* and a bit weird to operate because it has that kid-style press backwards on the pedal to brake thing.

    Cool and easy for cruising around but I wouldn't want to ride up any hills.

    Also, when I dropped it at Elemental Coffee there were a total of three bikes in the rack and when I walked back by there an hour later, all three were gone. So, it seems the system is getting plenty of use. And certainly lots of opportunity to expand to SoSA, Plaza, 23rd, Film Row, etc.

  15. #415

    Default Re: Spokies

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post

    They are crazy *heavy* and a bit weird to operate because it has that kid-style press backwards on the pedal to brake thing.

    Cool and easy for cruising around but I wouldn't want to ride up any hills.
    I know that they are in the process of gathering bids for a complete revamp of the system. New bikes are the chief priority (which would require new checkout stations more than likely). After they get that sorted, I sense that an aggressive expansion campaign is in the plans.

    I heard the Spokies consultant speak once, and he said that in most cities with successful bike-share programs there would be 5x the number of stations as OKC has to cover the exact same square mileage.

  16. #416

    Default Re: Spokies

    COTPA is set to issue an RFP to completely replace all the bikes, stations and software.

    RFP calls for at least 10 stations (there are 8 now), and bikes with a minimum of 3 gears. The current bikes are crazy heavy, are fixed gear and do not have handlebar brakes.

    This should be a huge improvement.

  17. #417

    Default Re: Spokies

    Pete, you mentioned you can check out bikes from stations for 24 hours for $5. But I thought I heard/read previously that the stations do not allow interaction after a certain time?

  18. #418
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    Default Re: Spokies

    I think there were hours limitations in the very beginning. Similarly you could only check out one bike per CC in the beginning but that changed as well.

  19. #419

    Default Re: Spokies

    My complaint when I rented them one time was about how heavy they were. Definitely an improvement in they get new, lighter bikes.

  20. #420
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    Default Re: Spokies

    I love this, but personally would be okay if we got 10 new stations of bikes AND kept the current stations and bikes, though I realize that might not be feasible compatibility wise. But it would be nice to be able to have 18 stations....

  21. #421

    Default Re: Spokies

    http://journalrecord.com/2016/08/05/...-general-news/

    I know this would never work in OKC right now, but it would be really cool to see Broadway St. be reworked to a completely pedestrian street from downtown to 10th. Cars could still cross east to west, but it could function like Santa Monica walking zone in dt Santa Monica. Broadway doesn't seem to get too much traffic at times I've been there. Bike lines for Spokies would be a good promotion.

  22. #422

    Default Re: Spokies

    Quote Originally Posted by Plutonic Panda View Post
    http://journalrecord.com/2016/08/05/...-general-news/

    I know this would never work in OKC right now, but it would be really cool to see Broadway St. be reworked to a completely pedestrian street from downtown to 10th. Cars could still cross east to west, but it could function like Santa Monica walking zone in dt Santa Monica. Broadway doesn't seem to get too much traffic at times I've been there. Bike lines for Spokies would be a good promotion.
    I'm not sure what you mean by Santa Monica walking zone. I've been on that street multitudes of times and it is very walkable for the most part, but I've never heard of a walking zone there.

  23. #423

    Default Re: Spokies

    A mid section pedestrian only corridor. They could also make Broadway extremely narrow with super wide sidewalks like they did from the Santa Monica Expo line station to the Pier.

  24. #424

    Default Re: Spokies

    When did the bike station @ Level get removed?

    Also their website is really bad, a lot of 404 pages.

  25. #425

    Default Re: Spokies

    OKC bike-sharing program to upgrade

    By: Brian Brus The Journal Record August 5, 2016

    OKLAHOMA CITY – The city’s Spokie’s bicycle-sharing program is getting a $200,000 face-lift this month with a full fleet replacement and new docking stations downtown.

    The 50 bikes from Wisconsin-based BCycle LLC will be sturdier and require fewer repairs, said Michael Scroggins, spokesman for Embark, the city’s public transportation agency. BCycle will also provide better electronic purchase equipment and data feedback than the current system so that Embark can track user trends.

    The upgrade is due in part to another contribution of $50,000 from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. The health insurance company’s gift last year helped pay for paint jobs, repairs and signage in exchange for marketing space on each bike. Company spokeswoman Lauren Dennison said Blue Cross and Blue Shield was merely interested in improving the community’s overall health through activity.

    A 2012 report by the nonprofit League of American Bicyclists found that communities that sponsor bike-sharing programs benefit from better-than-average health, which lowers health care costs and improves productivity. The nation’s 60 million annual recreational bicyclists spend $46.9 billion on meals, transportation, lodging, gifts and entertainment, researchers found.

    “Communities that have fostered that popularity by providing bicycle infrastructure for transportation and recreation have seen considerable economic benefits by attracting businesses, tourism, and active residents,” the report says. “Neighborhoods become more desirable when traffic slows down and residents have more transportation choices. Businesses can encourage shopping among loyal, local customers by making getting there by bike more appealing.”

    Scroggins said Spokies is starting to show an impact on local culture as people increasingly rent the bikes for lunchtime jaunts downtown and tourism in the evenings. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some commuters are starting to use the bikes so they can park their automobiles farther away from work, as is the case in Los Angeles, which recently launched a 1,000-bike, 65-station initiative called Metro Bikes with BCycle equipment.

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