Bike-sharing:

It’s History, Status in North America, and Implementation Issues

by

Paul DeMaio

MetroBike LLC

Transportation Research Board

January 11, 2009

What is Bike-sharing?

A fleet of unattended bicycles available for short-term public-use at multiple stations.

Or more simply: Bike-sharing is bike transit.

Benefits of Bike-sharing

•  On-demand transportation, •  Does not create pollution nor add to congestion, •  Less expensive to purchase and maintain than trains

and buses ($400,000/bus for example), •  Low-cost geographical expansion of existing

transportation services, •  Promotes greater transit use, •  Requires less infrastructure than other modes of

transportation, and •  Provides the user with the added benefit of exercise.

3 Generations of Bike-sharing 1st gen.

2nd gen.

3rd gen.

Witte Fiets (White Bikes) Amsterdam – 1964

Provo

Bycyklen (City Bikes) Farsø and Grenå, Denmark – 1991

Municipalities

Bycyklen (City Bikes) Copenhagen – 1995

City Bike Foundation of Copenhagen

Vélo à la Carte (Bicycle Card) Rennes, France – 1998

Clear Channel

Bikeabout Portsmouth, UK – 1995 Portsmouth University

Vélib' Paris – 2007 JCDecaux

World Bike-sharing Map

2008 Launches – D.C., Denver, Minneapolis (demo), Montreal (demo) Possible for 2009 – Arlington (VA), Honolulu, Minneapolis, Montreal, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver (BC), St. Xavier Univ. (Chicago), Univ. of Washington Possible for 2010 – Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto

Part 2: Implementation Issues

•  Bike Facilities

•  Funding

•  Liability

•  Safety

Bike Facilities

Funding

Liability

Safety

Contact info:

Paul DeMaio Managing Member MetroBike LLC Washington, DC 202-684-8126 paul@metrobike.net

MetroBike.net

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