Comments on: Decatur City Commission to Discuss Bike Share Program Feasibility

By: CODer

CODer — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:20:48 +0000

There is also a similar, but seemingly more advanced system, called SoBI based out of NYC.

http://socialbicycles.com/

Also, not sure it’s true, but I’ve heard that the GT project may be running out of steam.

By: macarolina

macarolina — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:44:48 +0000

excellent idea

By: Dr B

Dr B — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 04:29:06 +0000

I used the bike share system in DC a lot 4 years ago. It got me around downtown faster than the subway or bus.

Decatur likely cannot afford the infrastructure of those rack based kiosk systems.

There is a startup out of Georgia Tech called viaCycle tha might work well for Decatur. The bikes are standalone (no kiosk infrastructure), have a GPS, and are unlocked/locked by a quick text message. I use them on occasion when I don’t bike to work just to get around Georgia Tech, where they are testing out the system.

Info here: http://www.viacycle.com/

By: smalltowngal

smalltowngal — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:39:16 +0000

I love the idea of a universal city pass. Would love it even more if, as a taxpayer, my card was loaded with a handful of complimentary usages each year, maybe a couple of pool visits and a couple of bike rides. Or 4-5 things of my choice: trip to the pool or bike ride or exercise class. Wouldn’t that be a nice little perk for us revenue-positive households who kick in WAY more than we consume? I have probably not used a Decatur pool five times in 15 years, and doubt I’d visit any more frequently if I could get in free once or twice a summer. But the offer would surely be nice.

By: Bijoux404

Bijoux404 — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:57:02 +0000

The yellow bikes were on an honor system and some dishonorable people with pick up trucks hauled them all off. The bike share programs I’ve used or admired (Boulder, Chattanooga, and some college campus I can’t remember) are on a charge card driven rental system. They are also heavy. Maybe they have tracking and regulators in them so you don’t go too far?

In Chattanooga you use your credit card and they put a deposit/hold on your card.
On the college campus, you had to be a student and use a campus card. If we got a bike share system I would love to have a special card to use for the rental so that students and others w/o charge cards, could use them. I guess it would be a strain on the city to administer but I keep thinking that a city pass for the pools, bikes, whatever would be awfully convenient.