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I’ve been an advocate for a robust bicycle sharing system since I first used BIXI system in Montreal. BIXI was how I got around the city core during my four day visit.  Recently, Minneapolis hosted a delegation of Austinites and they introduced us to their Nice Bike system. Yours truly ended up in a photo.

It’s my belief that a bike share system should be an integral part of the transit discussion.  For distances of less than 1 mile, these are cost-effective systems of getting urban-Austinites and visitors where they want to get to.  A large bike sharing network is also superb recreational amenity.

Yesterday, I was excited to visit City Hall to checkout the B-Cycle shared bicycle program demo. This system is currently in place in Denver, though it has fewer stations than the Nice Bike or BIXI system in Minneapolis and Montreal, respectively.

All of these systems use a three-geared bike that’s easy to use. The bikes include a basket and a lock. The ergonomics encourage a leisurely and comfortable ride. From the B-Cycle FAQ, we learn that fees to use the system can be specified by the city or promoter, but usually include an annual, monthly, weekly, daily and single use fees. In Denver, a 24 hour membership cost $5. This doesn’t mean you rent the bike for 24 hours. Rather, for 24 hours, you can quickly pickup/drop off bikes at any station.  The first 30 minutes are free, subsequent 30 minutes have escalating fees.

Bike sharing systems like B-Cycle market themselves as being scalable, and therefor easy to buy into. However, the utility of these systems grows along with the number of stations. A modest investment in too few stations, or poorly located stations, could result in under-adoption and quickly be the death of the system.

For a city that likes to be outside and champions a progressive pace of life, the future is bright for bike sharing in Austin.

This Wednesday from 11-2pm, drop by city hall to see B-Cycle bike sharing concept in action.  Last month, we wrote that bike sharing could not only help solve many “last mile” transit problems, it would also become a superb recreational amenity for the entire city and its visitors.

What: B-cycle demo event for city officials and members of the public
Where: 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701 (Lavaca Street)
When: Demo runs from 11am-2pm; setup at 9:30am

From the Downtown Austin Alliance:

“Just as car-sharing systems provide a convenient way to use cars on a short-term rental basis, bicycle-sharing systems allow people to check out bikes to run errands and make other short trips.  Representatives of B-cycle, a national company that produces bicycles and other equipment for and works with cities to implement bicycle-sharing systems, will demonstrate their product at City Hall plaza from 11 am – 2 pm on Wednesday, October 27th. They will explain how bike sharing can decrease dependence on single-occupant vehicles, help improve mobility and support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The public is invited to stop be and talk with B-cycle staff member and to take a short ride on one of their bikes.”