November 2015 expansion?
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PotomacCyclist.
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August 5, 2015 at 4:02 pm #1035292
S. Arlington Observer
ParticipantThere are some great comments (so far) about the relative costs of bikeshare infrastructure and road building (and Metro costs) not to mention the “cost of air pollution and congestion from other forms of transportation. These points are important and it would be good if bikers reinforced them in the article’s comment section – and in other forums as the cost is discussed.
August 8, 2015 at 7:07 pm #1035522PotomacCyclist
ParticipantMore details about this fall’s CaBi expansion:
The article notes that College Park and the Univ. of Maryland restarted their program to add bikeshare this year. However, Motivate was not one of the new bidders. So if College Park does get bikeshare, it might not be part of Capital Bikeshare.
The author also points out that the new bikes and stations are part of a final equipment order from the original suppliers. So the new bikes will be identical or nearly identical to existing CaBi bikes. Future orders will likely include the new equipment designs that Motivate is using for Citi Bike NYC this year.
I was able to try out the new Pronto Cycle Share bikes in Seattle this past weekend. The bikes are slightly different and so is the sign-up process. I’ll type up a more detailed review later on. I don’t know if future CaBi bikes will be the same as the Pronto bikes. Pronto is also operated by Motivate Int’l.
August 9, 2015 at 3:45 pm #1035508
cvcalhounParticipant@PotomacCyclist 121798 wrote:
More details about this fall’s CaBi expansion:
The article notes that College Park and the Univ. of Maryland restarted their program to add bikeshare this year. However, Motivate was not one of the new bidders. So if College Park does get bikeshare, it might not be part of Capital Bikeshare.
The author also points out that the new bikes and stations are part of a final equipment order from the original suppliers. So the new bikes will be identical or nearly identical to existing CaBi bikes. Future orders will likely include the new equipment designs that Motivate is using for Citi Bike NYC this year.
I was able to try out the new Pronto Cycle Share bikes in Seattle this past weekend. The bikes are slightly different and so is the sign-up process. I’ll type up a more detailed review later on. I don’t know if future CaBi bikes will be the same as the Pronto bikes. Pronto is also operated by Motivate Int’l.
I saw the discussion about College Park not being part of CaBi, and wonder how that could possibly make sense. Apparently, at least one of the College Park stations is about 3 miles from a CaBi station–an easy CaBi ride, but a long enough walk that few are likely to do it to transfer from one to the other. So by not making the systems compatible, you forever have a situation in which College Park renters can only get around College Park, instead of being able to get around the whole metro area. Surely it would be worthwhile to wait a while to get CaBi bikes instead of imposing that huge limitation forever?
August 9, 2015 at 3:59 pm #1035510ParticipantI agree. They had been talking to Alta (the former operator of CaBi) a while back, before the Bixi bankruptcy.
An independent bikeshare system will be limiting for them. The College Park network will center on the Metro and the university.
Maybe the issue is rebalancing. It would be more expensive for Motivate to cover College Park than areas that are closely connected to the rest of the network. This may be why Motivate is quoting them a higher-than-expected price. College Park would need to pay for their own rebalancing van because it would be impractical to use one of the other vehicles that are covering downtown DC or the Columbia Heights/U Street area.
The Rockville/Shady Grove station group is also isolated from the rest of the system. I would have said that they need a separate rebalancing van too. But those stations still don’t seem to get much use. Every time I look at the CaBi map, all of those stations are roughly half full/half empty. I take that as a sign of stations that are not in heavy demand. In areas with a lot of CaBi usage, the stations are rarely half full/half empty. They are either mostly full or mostly empty.
August 9, 2015 at 5:19 pm #1035481AFHokie
Participant@cvcalhoun 121821 wrote:
I saw the discussion about College Park not being part of CaBi, and wonder how that could possibly make sense. Apparently, at least one of the College Park stations is about 3 miles from a CaBi station–an easy CaBi ride, but a long enough walk that few are likely to do it to transfer from one to the other. So by not making the systems compatible, you forever have a situation in which College Park renters can only get around College Park, instead of being able to get around the whole metro area. Surely it would be worthwhile to wait a while to get CaBi bikes instead of imposing that huge limitation forever?
@PotomacCyclist 121823 wrote:
An independent bikeshare system will be limiting for them. The College Park network will center on the Metro and the university.
It makes no sense to have separate systems so close together. Something tells me no matter how explicitly different the signage, color of bikes, etc; a percentage of people unfamiliar with either will try to dock bikes with the other system.
August 9, 2015 at 7:42 pm #1035484KLizotte
Participant@PotomacCyclist 121823 wrote:
Maybe the issue is rebalancing. It would be more expensive for Motivate to cover College Park than areas that are closely connected to the rest of the network. This may be why Motivate is quoting them a higher-than-expected price. College Park would need to pay for their own rebalancing van because it would be impractical to use one of the other vehicles that are covering downtown DC or the Columbia Heights/U Street area.
Well, they could conceivably hire students to do the rebalancing so that would probably help with costs.
August 9, 2015 at 8:10 pm #1035485ParticipantThe decision is completely up to College Park and the University of Maryland, who seem to be co-participants in this new system. The people to convince are those in charge there. Other jurisdictions have no say in what those two decide to do on their land.
Residents of College Park and nearby areas, and students of the university can lobby their leaders, to get them to reconsider and reopen discussion with Motivate. I guess other people could contact them too. But they probably won’t give as much weight to opinions from non-students or non-residents of CP.
August 15, 2015 at 1:05 pm #1035813Bruno Moore
ParticipantSorry to be late to the discussion here—according to my Undiscloseable Sources (yes, I know…), the decision to go with a non-compatible system may be revisited. Part of the problem right now is that CP is, in all truth, pretty far removed from CaBi stations. Yes, there are some in Takoma Park, but you REALLY wouldn’t want to take a CaBi on East-West Highway! The expansion that needs to be planned for is the one up the old streetcar route and the Anacostia Tributary Trails between northeast DC and Hyattsville, which, while it will take several years and a few more infrastructure fights with The Powers that Be, likely will happen. There are already some preliminary plans (again, Sources) for maintenance and upkeep of a de facto separate side system; after all, that’s how the MoCo CaBi “islands,” like up in Rockville, work.
Of course, good luck winning the Hearts and Minds of the majority of CP residents, many of whom moved out here because it’s inexpensive Maryland suburbia and don’t want to see it become an urbanized extension of the city. Already, I hear complaints about how urban things are, and how there’s not enough consideration for homeowners who pay property tax. A bike rental system might be seen as one more concession to the university, renters, and nonresidents.
Tread carefully when lobbying in College Park.
August 15, 2015 at 4:39 pm #1035821ParticipantInteresting insights into the local politics of College Park. I don’t spend much time there, but I have read about some of the new plans for remaking Route 1 through College Park, to make it more urban and less car-oriented. There are plans to develop some of the sites next to the Metro station.
November 18, 2015 at 3:28 pm #1041376Participant@PotomacCyclist 121529 wrote:
According to the article, Capital Bikeshare will expand in November.
DC: 40 stations, 435 bikes
Alexandria: 4 stations, 28 bikes
Arlington: 8 stations, 64 bikes
Montgomery: 7 stations, 58 bikesIt’s November and I haven’t heard about any significant additions. Only a station or two in Arlington and DC during the fall.
I don’t know why Motivate didn’t just cancel the equipment order from the old suppliers. Wouldn’t there be an opt-out clause if the supplier went bankrupt (which they did)? Or maybe Motivate doesn’t have enough of the new bike and station models because those are going toward the major expansion in the NYC system.
Whatever the case may be, it’s November and there haven’t been any updates about the 40-station expansion in DC. Two stations were moved and expanded a couple weeks ago. The Kennedy Center station has a better placement, instead of being tucked away at the far end of the plaza. But I’d like to see the new stations soon. Bikeshare expansion seems to follow the same timeline process as other transportation projects or large building construction projects. The deadline is there until it’s not met. Then add another six months. Then that deadline is there until it’s not met. Then add another three to 18 months. And so on…
November 18, 2015 at 4:51 pm #1041381
Steve OParticipant@PotomacCyclist 128177 wrote:
It’s November and I haven’t heard about any significant additions. Only a station or two in Arlington . . .
Yeah, well 81 in Arlington was plenty enough for me.
November 18, 2015 at 5:23 pm #1041382
chris_sParticipant@PotomacCyclist 128177 wrote:
It’s November and I haven’t heard about any significant additions. Only a station or two in Arlington and DC during the fall.
That Post article made it sound like the equipment was supposed to arrive from the supplier in November, not necessarily be installed in November and November’s not even over yet. Seems a bit early to complain about timeline.
November 18, 2015 at 5:40 pm #1041383Tim Kelley
ParticipantI hear the new equipment is ready to be shipped or has already been shipped. But yeah, at least in Arlington things should be happening soonish. It’s definitely on the horizon.
November 18, 2015 at 5:40 pm #1041384TwoWheelsDC
Participant@PotomacCyclist 128177 wrote:
It’s November and I haven’t heard about any significant additions. Only a station or two in Arlington and DC during the fall.
I don’t know why Motivate didn’t just cancel the equipment order from the old suppliers. Wouldn’t there be an opt-out clause if the supplier went bankrupt (which they did)? Or maybe Motivate doesn’t have enough of the new bike and station models because those are going toward the major expansion in the NYC system.
Whatever the case may be, it’s November and there haven’t been any updates about the 40-station expansion in DC. Two stations were moved and expanded a couple weeks ago. The Kennedy Center station has a better placement, instead of being tucked away at the far end of the plaza. But I’d like to see the new stations soon. Bikeshare expansion seems to follow the same timeline process as other transportation projects or large building construction projects. The deadline is there until it’s not met. Then add another six months. Then that deadline is there until it’s not met. Then add another three to 18 months. And so on…
The concrete slab for the Lacey Woods park station was poured last week, so there definitely is some progress on new stations.
November 18, 2015 at 5:49 pm #1041385
lordofthemarkParticipantAlexandria website says the next four this winter.
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