Spokies

[NoOkie]

Except on high humidity days I don't think there will be a lot sweating taking place anyhow. I now ride as part of my daily routine and I rarely ever come close to breaking a sweat.

Really depends on the person. I ride to work most of the time and usually break a bit of a sweat, even when it's below freezing. I will say I was drenched this last summer, but I think that applies for anyone who was outside for more than 10 minutes.

[metro]

Thanks Pete for posting. Their promo pic is funny, the bike the guy is on isn't even the same bike they are offering to rent in the picture.

[Spartan]

from tomorrows council meeting .. is the resolution for the purchase of the pike rental systems (the city already has the bikes)

Estimated Cost $315,000
Source of Funds $182,239
Grants Management – Department of Energy – EECBG From DOE- DEEE0000920-
REELP (019-6810-0409772-G96004-G4050)

182 of the 315 is the grant

Definitely more expensive than I would have thought. Just for the rental systems? Does this include the bid for the operating agreement with Sandvault? It's definitely not approaching what I think is a "limit," but still discouraging that simple improvements like this require significant public backing..

[Just the facts]

Definitely more expensive than I would have thought. Just for the rental systems?

I wonder what the liability insurance cost.

[BBatesokc]

My wife and I can't wait to give this a try. Wish they'd put one near the downtown YMCA. We'd love to finish a workout and then peddle to Coffee Slingers or just around the block a few times without having to haul our bikes on the car to downtown.

[BoulderSooner]

Definitely more expensive than I would have thought. Just for the rental systems? Does this include the bid for the operating agreement with Sandvault? It's definitely not approaching what I think is a "limit," but still discouraging that simple improvements like this require significant public backing..

no operating agreement ..

i think that is an RFP is that going out

[metro]

My wife and I can't wait to give this a try. Wish they'd put one near the downtown YMCA. We'd love to finish a workout and then peddle to Coffee Slingers or just around the block a few times without having to haul our bikes on the car to downtown.

I agree.

[metro]

no operating agreement ..

i think that is an RFP is that going out

Anyone know where you can view city RFP's?

[Pete]

Looks like the first bike rental locations have been set. Strange omission of Automobile Alley.

1. 300 Park Ave: install bike share station of double-sided rack to accommodate 32 bike slots east of the main library entrance, approximately 57 feet from the south curb of Park Ave.; install bike share station of single-sided rack to accommodate 24 bike slots approximately 6 feet from curb on south side of Park Ave.
2. 1 Myriad Gardens: install bike share station of double-sided rack to accommodate 16 bike slots at SE corner of W Sheridan Ave and W Reno Ave (I believe they meant Sheridan & Robinson, not Reno)
3. 620 N Harvey Ave: install bike share station of double sided rack to accommodate 16 bike slots on the south side of NW 6th St adjacent to the west side of the Journal Record Building
4. 301 N Walnut: install bike share station of two single sided racks to accommodate 8 slots per rack on east and west sides of sidewalk along N Walnut Ave at southeast corner of N Walnut and NE 2nd St
5. 1100 N Classen Dr: install bike share station of one single-sided rack to accommodate 16 bike slots on the west side of N Walker Ave adjacent to the east side of the Plaza Court Building

[Just the facts]

Looks like the first bike rental locations have been set. Strange omission of Automobile Alley.

Maybe they figue AA as a destination and not a point of origin.

[Spartan]

This is a coup. For them to not orient the rack locations to the streetcar route shows you what is thought about the streetcar among the people calling the shots behind Downtown OKC Inc.

Notice the Bikeshare rack location in front of Devon, then further up Hudson. Devon might not be an odd choice, but THAT side of the Memorial certainly is. Just by switching over to the more iconic side of the Memorial, the rack location would align better with the streetcar.

Don't 1 and 2 seem awful close to each other? The overwhelming majority of bikes will be on Park Avenue, and only 16 serving a residential area in downtown? Bricktown?

[Just the facts]

The streetcar is still several years away and I am not sure anyone knows how 'set in stone' the current route is - especially considering the recent news around the bridges at Sheriden and Reno and built in ridership in Deep Deuce and East Bricktown. I am sure moving bike locations will be super easy when and if it becomes necessary.

[mcca7596]

The pricing:

Memberships
• 1 year: $75.00
• 1 month: $20.00
• 1 day: $5.00

Each membership comes with free, unlimited 30-minute rides. Fee for
each additional half-hour is $2.00.

Hours of operation: 6 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., 7 days per week; bicycles can
be returned 24 hours a day.
• Maximum charge per day: $75.00
• Charge for failure to return bicycle within 48 hours of check-out:
$500.00

Special promotions, corporate memberships of 10 or more people, and
group memberships of 10 or more people are eligible for a discounted rate
up to 25%.

I can understand monthly and yearly memberships of unlimited half-hour rides. However, why not just do hourly rates for 1 day use? I mean how many people are going to take multiple 30 minute or less rides in one day if they are visiting?

If someone gets on a bike at the Memorial to ride over to Bricktown to have lunch, they're going to have to have it for over 30 minutes (I assume most would just lock it up wherever they're going because they wouldn't necessarily know that there's a station in Deep Deuce) That's at least $7 to ride a bike a couple of blocks. It just seems like the time constraints will limit this to a sightseeing venture.

Maybe the intent is to be an intermediate pedestrian circulator, how the streetcar is a long distance pedestrian circulator? I just think there needs to be really good maps showing where pick-up/drop-off locations are.

[Just the facts]

I think they expect someone to ride it from station 2 to station 3 where they will check it back in. After spending an hour our so they will check it out at station 2 where they will bike over to station 4 and check it back in, and so on. With a $500 fee for losing the bike I wouldn't be chaining it up just any where.

[Spartan]

This doesn't seem very well-planned.

[ljbab728]

This doesn't seem very well-planned.

Why do you say that? Do you have any information about how other cities do it that would be an improvement?

[BBatesokc]

I'm not familiar with these types of rentals at all. So, what happens if I'm here visiting with my small group/family of say 4-6 of us and we think it will be great to rent some bikes and ride from point A to B, for some shopping, eating, whatever, and when we get there, there are not enough open spots to check the bikes in? I assume if we lock them up to a pole and go do our thing and then ride them back to where we rented them (or maybe some spots open up) it could realistically be 2.5 hours with travel time. That would be $13/ea? Ouch.

I think I'd stick to the trolley, which would get me to all the same locations except for #5 for free and the whole gang could come along. Maybe its just me, but I don't get it at these 1/2 hour rates.

I was originally excited about this, thinking the wife and I could ride bikes some downtown without having to lug ours on the car on occasions, but with 1/2 hour rates, we won't be doing that unfortunately. Might be cheaper to rent a bike at the boathouse and have it all day for just $10.

[BoulderSooner]

all 5 locations will be within a block or less of a street car stop

[BBatesokc]

all 5 locations will be within a block or less of a street car stop

But that's many years away (if ever), so I don't even consider that in my opinion of something that is happening now. But when/if streetcars materialize, I would find the current bike share pricing even more bizarre.

[BoulderSooner]

But that's many years away (if ever), so I don't even consider that in my opinion of something that is happening now. But when/if streetcars materialize, I would find the current bike share pricing even more bizarre.

3 years is not "many years away"

[Just the facts]

@BBatesokc - they are not really designed for leisurely rides around downtown. They are really intended for business people to have an express ride to another part of downtown. If tourist use them also - great. I guess it would be possible you could get to another rack and it would be full although I assume there would be a surplus of racks vs the number of bikes in the system.

[Rover]

SInce there is no history of use, and with the changing logistics with the opening of the Devon center, there will be issues. It doesn't mean it won't work, but rather adjustments will have to be made. This would seem normal. Adding racks, or moving racks and routes should be quick and easy. Adoption patterns will prevail, I am sure. But, we have to start somewhere.

As for fees, it seems reasonable. This is point to point use, not really intended for site seeing. Let's see if it works here.

[BBatesokc]

@BBatesokc - they are not really designed for leisurely rides around downtown. They are really intended for business people to have an express ride to another part of downtown. If tourist use them also - great. I guess it would be possible you could get to another rack and it would be full although I assume there would be a surplus of racks vs the number of bikes in the system.

I certainly could see someone living in say Midtown and riding one to work downtown and back and the yearly membership could be worth it. Seems like a tiny demographic though. I've never worked a job where I could bike to work. Even when I lived downtown and worked at Children's. Don't see how business attire and bikes can mix. I'm not against it, I just don't really 'get it.' But, it looks hip and cool.

I guess my worry about full stalls came from the sample photo at the beginning of this thread.

[Just the facts]

I certainly could see someone living in say Midtown and riding one to work downtown and back and the yearly membership could be worth it. Seems like a tiny demographic though. I've never worked a job where I could bike to work. Even when I lived downtown and worked at Children's. Don't see how business attire and bikes can mix. I'm not against it, I just don't really 'get it.' But, it looks hip and cool.

I guess my worry about full stalls came from the sample photo at the beginning of this thread.

If you lived in a tiny apartment in Midtown or Deep Deuce it might be worth having a membership for commuting purposes instead of having to store a bike in your apartment. That is a market that will continue to grow. As for riding in business attire - if you watch the Minneapolis video a significant number of people did just that, but many companies these days are business casual anyhow. The Deep Deuce location is less the 1/2 mile from every downtown office tower. Even the slowest of riders could do that in 3 minutes and most people require way more than 3 minutes of excercise to even get their heart rate up.

Granted it isn’t for everyone but it adds just one more piece to the puzzle for downtown living.

[metro]

This doesn't seem very well-planned.

I agree. Without having an hourly rate, this will be a failure.