Melbourne city bike share

malnar
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby malnar » Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:05 am

IkaInk wrote:There are so many problems with this scheme it will struggle to get 200 uses a day. The reason these systems have worked overseas is they have offered convenience that was not previously offered in whatever city you're talking about.

The system in Melbourne is not convenient for a number of reasons:
  • Firstly and most importantly Helmets
  • Too few stations
  • All stations are in the CBD which already has adequete public transport, and isn't very bike friendly
  • Day or weekly trips require a deposit, so you have to have funds available for this in the first place
Of course the system hasn't been thought out very well either, for some absurd reason it falls under Tim Pallas, Roads Minister's portfolio instead of Martin Pakula who is the Minister for Public Transport.

I've gone into more detail at my blog if anyone cares to read.
http://www.ikaink.net/blog/?p=696
I got a daily pass recently. It's all done on credit card, so you need a credit card but you don't need separate funds for the deposit. This raises a few issues in my mind:
- Not everyone has a credit card.
- I don't know if they debit the $300 depisit on your credit card and then credit it back when you return the bike. That sounds cumbersome.
- There's a gang in Melb at the moment skimming details from credit card swipers. I'd want to see an assurance from Bike Share that the swipers at the stations are tamper proof.

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il padrone
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby il padrone » Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:16 am

malnar wrote:- Not everyone has a credit card.
That is an issue. Not sure how you get around it. The use of credit cards enables a scurity deposit to deter theft/damge of the bikes.
malnar wrote:- I don't know if they debit the $300 depisit on your credit card and then credit it back when you return the bike. That sounds cumbersome.
I've been told the deposit is credited back, the next day. Gives a nice little cash flow earner to the scheme :roll:
malnar wrote:- There's a gang in Melb at the moment skimming details from credit card swipers. I'd want to see an assurance from Bike Share that the swipers at the stations are tamper proof.
That's another concern, but I believe this skimming thing has been using credit card readers from retail stores that have been taken away/swapped to insert a bit of electronic gadgetry. Hopefully the readers at the docking stations are secure enough to prevent this.
Mandatory helmet law?
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."

lethoso
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby lethoso » Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:18 pm

il padrone wrote:Even the mainstream media commentators are realising the scheme (and helmet rule) needs review.
I agree with something Andrew Bolt wrote :o The world must be ending...
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Mulger bill
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby Mulger bill » Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:26 pm

lethoso wrote:
il padrone wrote:Even the mainstream media commentators are realising the scheme (and helmet rule) needs review.
I agree with something Andrew Bolt wrote :o The world must be ending...
Nah, you just don't read him often enough. :wink: Strike rate of about 3% IME.
Didn't he bag The Age out tho'?
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
London Boy 29/12/2011

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il padrone
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Re: Melbourne city bike share - now London kicks off

Postby il padrone » Sat Jul 31, 2010 12:15 am

London's bikeshare (called Barclays Cyclehire) went live today with 6000 bikes. Already they have over 12000 registered users. The scheme's web site is very comprehensive with a map of the docking stations. Get a look at the locations!

https://web.barclayscyclehire.tfl.gov.uk/maps

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BRwjtj_ ... re=related[/youtube]
Mandatory helmet law?
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."

lethoso
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Re: Melbourne city bike share - now London kicks off

Postby lethoso » Sat Jul 31, 2010 2:05 am

Mulger bill wrote:Nah, you just don't read him often enough. :wink:
I would argue the rare occasion that I do is too often :x
il padrone wrote:London's bikeshare (called Barclays Cyclehire) went live today with 6000 bikes. Already they have over 12000 registered users. The scheme's web site is very comprehensive with a map of the docking stations. Get a look at the locations!

https://web.barclayscyclehire.tfl.gov.uk/maps

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BRwjtj_ ... re=related[/youtube]
that's pretty awesome, the docking station map shows the current amount of bikes/spaces at each station too 8)
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Westgarth
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby Westgarth » Sat Jul 31, 2010 8:41 am

I got a daily pass recently. It's all done on credit card, so you need a credit card but you don't need separate funds for the deposit. This raises a few issues in my mind:
- Not everyone has a credit card.
- I don't know if they debit the $300 depisit on your credit card and then credit it back when you return the bike. That sounds cumbersome.
- There's a gang in Melb at the moment skimming details from credit card swipers. I'd want to see an assurance from Bike Share that the swipers at the stations are tamper proof.
As I have mentioned before, the credit card requirement is really outrageous. It's even worse with the Justparkit railway station bike cards, at least with bikehire I think there is some sort of option where you can turn up at the townhall with enough coupons collected and pay them cash for a membership or send a money order to Grenada or something and you can then use the balance to access the scheme. I could be wrong.

THe $300 does get drawn on when you check out the bike and theoretically refunded when you return it. A few people have been caught out when their card gets declined because they have been charged $300 * number of kids/women in tow. If you see someone riding along in a procession with a partner and 3 kids (as I did recently) all on bikes, you know they have at least $1500 in lazy credit (purse snatchers and muggers take note).

The skimming is a problem, I think it is just a matter of time. Long before the Indians (check them out on crimestoppers if you think I'm being needlessly racist) and a couple of Romanians started switching the eftpos terminal machines at K-mart when no-one was looking, street atm machines were being fitted with disguised coils which read the card information and film the PIN being entered. Although to be cynical perhaps they wouldn't bother given the level of use of the bikeshare machines (compared to, say, a MYKI recharge station :lol: )

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Re: Melbourne city bike share - now London kicks off

Postby Aushiker » Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:26 am

il padrone wrote:London's bikeshare (called Barclays Cyclehire) went live today with 6000 bikes. Already they have over 12000 registered users. The scheme's web site is very comprehensive with a map of the docking stations. Get a look at the locations!
Hi

The map is cool and so many locations! Great how it gives you an idea of the number of bicycles available and parking space.

Andrew
Andrew

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il padrone
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby il padrone » Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:37 pm

An overview of the system in operation in Melbourne. Sad really!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vmYuKcv ... re=channel[/youtube]

Meantime some data from Canada
In Canada, the claim of a 45-per-cent reduction in the head injury rate for provinces with helmet laws compared with provinces without them failed to adjust for the level of cycling activity. A study that compared six-year periods on either side of the helmet laws in the four provinces that have them calculated a reduction in fatalities of 37 per cent and a reduction in cycling of 20.5 per cent, for a net reduction in fatalities of 20.4 per cent. In provinces without helmet laws, there was a reduction of 29.5 per cent.

An examination of hospital admissions reveals that admissions fell by 10 per cent over a 12-month period for provinces with helmet laws, while provinces without helmet laws saw a reduction of 22 per cent.

Clarke cites research showing that life-years gained by cycling outweigh years lost to accidents by a factor of 20 to 1. If five per cent of cyclists stopped cycling because of helmet laws, he said, any benefit from helmets would be lost. With estimates of cycling being discouraged by roughly 20 per cent, helmet laws would appear to do more harm than good.



Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Wearin ... z0vVRq0TyH
Mandatory helmet law?
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."

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roller
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby roller » Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:54 pm

Westgarth wrote:The skimming is a problem, I think it is just a matter of time. Long before the Indians (check them out on crimestoppers if you think I'm being needlessly racist) and a couple of Romanians started switching the eftpos terminal machines at K-mart when no-one was looking, street atm machines were being fitted with disguised coils which read the card information and film the PIN being entered. Although to be cynical perhaps they wouldn't bother given the level of use of the bikeshare machines (compared to, say, a MYKI recharge station :lol: )
:shock: needlessly racist?

as opposed to "????" racist?
inflammatory statement or idea

matt d
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby matt d » Mon Aug 09, 2010 1:52 am

Just as a comparison:

London started their very similar cycle scheme a week ago. For the moment it's open only to those who pre-registered and use an electronic key (very similar to the electronic key used in Melbourne). In the first week there were 50,000 trips made. In September it will be extended for casual users (including tourists) via credit card.

I rode past four 30-rack bike stations today that were totally empty (all bikes being used) and saw at least 20 bikes being used as I rode around central London - most were young women or couples, and none had helmets. Transport for London (TFL) have already announced that due it's enormous success it will be extended to a wider area.

As many have pointed out the helmet law makes a big difference and it is summer in London but something to compare with.

A key difference is that Transport for London is a single organisation responsible for all transport in London - underground, bus, road, road tolling and cycling - all rolled into one organisation. That makes a big difference to integration and I wish we could get such in Melbourne and Sydney

https://web.barclayscyclehire.tfl.gov.uk/maps

Matt

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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby Aushiker » Thu Aug 19, 2010 9:55 am

Hi

It appears that not all is rosey for the London Cycle Share program ...
Around 1,000 Boris bikes are unavailable to use in the Barclay’s Cycle Hire scheme because of planning protests from London residents.

The Standard reports that councils have refused to grant permission for 76 docking stations, meaning that Transport for London have only been able to put 5,000 of the 6,000 hire bikes on the street....

The Standard found that Westminster council has refused 29 docking stations. Twelve have been refused in Kensington and Chelsea, seven in Camden, six each in Islington — including one in Boris Johnson's own street — the City of London and Lambeth, five in Southwark, two each in the Royal Parks and in Tower Hamlets and one in Hackney.

The shortage of docking stations has left 1,000 bikes stranded in TfL contactor Serco's depot in Islington. It’s also led to complaints about shortages of bikes at Waterloo and other mainline stations, and of docking stations around Covent Garden. Serco has now deployed staff to Waterloo to ensure there are extra bikes and docking points during rush hours.
Andrew
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby jules21 » Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:11 am

matt d wrote:A key difference is that Transport for London is a single organisation responsible for all transport in London - underground, bus, road, road tolling and cycling - all rolled into one organisation. That makes a big difference to integration and I wish we could get such in Melbourne and Sydney
in victoria, the DoT has comparable responsibility.

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il padrone
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby il padrone » Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:34 am

From today's Age in Melbourne


Share the smarts

BIKE share schemes have taken off in more than 135 cities around the world. By all reports, they are doing well. In any city that values public health, combined with a sustainable solution to transport and congestion problems, they would have to be a winner.
In Montreal's first season, 3.5 million kilometres were pedalled, without compulsory helmets. There were only five (non-serious) accidents. After 11 months, again without requiring helmets, Dublin's modest 450 bikes were used up to 5000 times in a day, again with no reported accidents of note.
The most recent start-up was in London, promoted by lord mayor Boris Johnson. There were 6000 uses on the first day, and the numbers are rising.
Meanwhile in Melbourne, Bicycle Victoria supported a recent massive rise in fines for cyclists, including $146 for not wearing a helmet. Victoria Police fines about 20,000 cyclists a year for this heinous offence.
Melbourne's bike share was launched with 400 bikes. The uptake averages a miserable 70 uses each day. Spot the clever country.

Alan Todd, Kyneton

Hmm, Dublin 450 bikes,up to 5000 uses per day (sustained average 2600 uses/day)

Melbourne 400 bikes, 70 uses per day

"We're getting there boys, just wait till summer!"
Mandatory helmet law?
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."

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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby beauyboy » Thu Aug 19, 2010 1:09 pm

I do hope our (Brisbane Citycycle) does alot better then Melbournes. The sad fact is with melbourne being flat and generally alot cooler then Brisbane it does not lead to much hope. I am seriously worried about the brisbane model because just like Melbourne the stations are being rolled out in dribs and drabs.

Donald
BCC give us some more bikeways fore safe travel!!!!
Upgrade the NCL now QR!!!!!!
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TheSkyMovesSideways
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby TheSkyMovesSideways » Thu Aug 19, 2010 1:27 pm

il padrone wrote:Hmm, Dublin 450 bikes,up to 5000 uses per day (sustained average 2600 uses/day)

Melbourne 400 bikes, 70 uses per day

"We're getting there boys, just wait till summer!"
Don't think they can blame it on the weather. From what I've heard Dublin has no summer. :lol:
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roller
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby roller » Thu Aug 19, 2010 3:52 pm

TheSkyMovesSideways wrote:
il padrone wrote:Hmm, Dublin 450 bikes,up to 5000 uses per day (sustained average 2600 uses/day)

Melbourne 400 bikes, 70 uses per day

"We're getting there boys, just wait till summer!"
Don't think they can blame it on the weather. From what I've heard Dublin has no summer. :lol:
no you can't go blaming it on the sunshine.

i'd say you can't blame it on the moonlight either.
inflammatory statement or idea

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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby beauyboy » Thu Aug 19, 2010 6:31 pm

nah

Blam it on the boggy

sorry couldn't resist :D

Donald
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Upgrade the NCL now QR!!!!!!
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Westgarth
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby Westgarth » Sun Aug 29, 2010 1:24 am

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/a-new ... 13wxk.html

A new helmet to bring riders into the fold?
Melissa Fyfe
August 29, 2010

IN A bid to save Melbourne's troubled bike share scheme, the state government is considering providing collapsible helmets that could fold up and be carried in a briefcase or handbag.

The scheme's operator, RACV, will also hand out free conventional bike helmets next month and VicRoads has confirmed it is working with RACV on a range of other helmet options, including the collapsible variety.

Figures obtained by The Sunday Age show that usage of the new scheme - introduced late May - remains low and declined last month.

The Sunday Age understands that RACV will next month promote the 600-bike scheme on a series of ''roadshows'', visiting city businesses and giving away free helmets and trial vouchers. The RACV and VicRoads are also considering helmet vending machines, although this is believed to be an expensive option.

The scheme, which is costing taxpayers $5.5 million over four years, has been crippled by Melbourne's compulsory helmet laws. Bike share schemes are established in 135 cities around the world, but Melbourne's is the only one operating under such strict laws.

The City of Melbourne, the state government and RACV have been criticised for launching Melbourne Bike Share on the cusp of winter and for not taking into account Victoria's helmet laws.

The Sunday Age has been told an Australian company has approached VicRoads with a collapsible helmet product. VicRoads, which declined to provide further details, may run a tender for the provision of collapsible helmets, depending on whether Australian safety standards can be met. French company DOYOUvelo? also has a prototype collapsible helmet that folds flat.

Figures obtained by The Sunday Age show annual subscriptions - which cost $50 - dropped in August, from 135 in July to 108 as of Friday. New casual users of the bikes dropped from 1461 in July to 1070 and the number of rides fell from 4116 to 3775. According to the figures, Melburnians are taking 140 rides a day on the bikes.

VicRoads and RACV have also been toying with the idea of providing hairnets at helmet vending machines. The Melbourne Bike Share survey taken earlier this year showed hygiene was a key issue in hiring helmets. One respondent said: ''Sharing a helmet is a bit like sharing underwear'' and another said: ''Had enough nits when the children were at school.''

The blue bikes, which are available at 50 docking stations around the city, can be hired on an annual subscription fee of $50, weekly rates are $8 and daily subscription costs $2.50. If the ride takes less than 30 minutes, the subscription fee is the only cost. Half-hourly charges apply after that.

A $25-helmet is given free to people who sign up for an annual subscription. Helmets have also been made available cheaply at some city stores and hotels. If riders do not wear a helmet they risk a $146 fine if caught by police. The government has ruled out waiving the helmet laws, as Mexico City did for their scheme.

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il padrone
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby il padrone » Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:24 am

Ah, 140 hires per day! A 100% jump

Image

:roll:

Why does the state government and so many other 'experts' not give a rats ar$e about the value of this scheme? Nose in middle of your face people.
Mandatory helmet law?
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."

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stubbie
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby stubbie » Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:36 am

il padrone wrote:Ah, 140 hires per day! A 100% jump

Image

:roll:

Why does the state government and so many other 'experts' not give a rats ar$e about the value of this scheme? Nose in middle of your face people.
Image

my celebratory fireworks came with a free wheel. :oops: :wink:
Gravity will never let you down.

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il padrone
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby il padrone » Sun Aug 29, 2010 9:41 am

And some more comment on the issue from the Herald Sun
Mandatory helmet law?
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."

Westgarth
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby Westgarth » Sun Aug 29, 2010 11:27 am

my celebratory fireworks came with a free wheel. :oops: :wink:
We were supposed to have one of those working in Melbourne too, but it didn't spin properly and started falling apart so they dismantled it....

Is there a theme developing here or what?

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il padrone
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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby il padrone » Sun Aug 29, 2010 11:59 am

Westgarth wrote:
my celebratory fireworks came with a free wheel. :oops: :wink:
We were supposed to have one of those working in Melbourne too, but it didn't spin properly and started falling apart so they dismantled it....
I think that is one and the same :wink:
Mandatory helmet law?
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."

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Re: Melbourne city bike share

Postby JV911 » Wed Oct 13, 2010 1:54 pm

looks like they'll be supplying helmets after all

http://media.theage.com.au/bikeshare-he ... om=newsbox
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