[Dewey]

HB543/SB871 was signed by Gov Northam yesterday, the 3-class E-bike system takes effect in Virginia July 1, 2020. Source http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&typ=bil&val=Hb543

[Dewey]

Capital bikeshare have launched an updated app ahead of their ebike deployment. CaBi confirm the new app can unlock both docked classic bikes and dockless parked ebikes using a QR code, source https://twitter.com/bikeshare/status/1234142487943372801?s=20

Update: tried the app this morning to undock a CaBi classic bike, scanned the QR code printed on top of the head tube and it released the bike from the dock, returned the bike to another dock the usual way and that ended the trip in the app, and I got a text message confirming the bike was returned.

[Dewey]

Lyft in the news for the wrong reasons, raising prices of San Francisco Bay Wheels ebikeshare rides to $2 to unlock and 20c per minute, source https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Lyft-raises-prices-on-e-bikes-triggering-an-15084541.php#article-comments

[Dewey]

DDOT press release reports Lyft will add 1,500 CaBi+ ebikes to the DC fleet starting “this spring” with a $1 per trip surcharge, a lock enabling riders to end a trip by returning to a dock or dockless locking the ebike to something, and revising the CaBi app to enable riders to unlock a CaBi+ ebike parked outside a dock https://ddot.dc.gov/release/improved-e-bikes-return-capital-bikeshare-spring

No details in the press release about the design, but DDOT’s tweet includes a picture showing a CaBi+ branded ebike similar to the San Francisco Bay Wheels bike, with front hub motor and front disk brake, which would have gears, so fingers crossed https://twitter.com/DDOTDC/status/1230890697143857153?s=20

[Dewey]

@huskerdont 198584 wrote:

I always mention enforcement since it seems we’ve largely given up on that.

The County budget for next year mentions Arlington PD hiring six traffic and enforcement control officers so this might be changing. Source page 9 of https://arlingtonva.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/02/Manager-Presentation-Proposed-FY-2021-Budget.pdf

[Dewey]

Lyft today finally returned ebikeshare to NYC’s CitiBike fleet with fixes to address the faults that led to their withdrawal last year including a new battery supplier, a new front Sturmey Archer drum brake, and the hub motor is moved to the rear so CitiBike state it is a single-speed (also reported on Reddit) hopefully it’s not geared too high or this might prematurely wear out the motors climbing hills. Lyft simply modified the previous design Bay Wheels/San Francisco ebikes by adding a disk brake to replace the front roller brake. It’s unclear which model CaBi will be getting in due course, but I hope it’s not the NYC design as I liked the Enviolo CVP gearing on the original CaBi+ ebikes.

[IMG]https://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_primary_image/public/images/article/1.png?itok=lXa8Wp1G[/IMG]

Pricing: CitiBike Annual Members pay an extra $0.10/minute, capped at $2 for rides 45 minutes or less starting or ending outside Manhattan. Non-Members pay $0.15/minute. Reduced Fare Bike Share Members pay $0.05/minute, capped at $2 for rides 45 minutes or less starting or ending outside Manhattan.

[Dewey]

This morning I discovered the path around the Netherlands Carillon near the Iwo Jima memorial is closed for construction, previously I had been able to ride through the work area. So this morning’s Winter Bike to Work Day included a bit of Cyclocross through waterlogged muddy ground, adding a sandy gritty noise to my rim brakes usual squeal, I recommend riding back and around Iwo Jima
[ATTACH=CONFIG]21186[/ATTACH]

[Dewey]

Another thread on the BikeArlington forum drew attention to this ArlNow article reporting Arlington County DES signage for sidewalks adjacent to PBL’s where ebikes and scooters are now not permitted to ride under the County’s Micro-Mobility Ordinance. Occasionally when riding my ebike in Arlington PBL’s I’ve had to leave the PBL to ride in the traffic lane or mount the sidewalk to go around: Construction, delivery trucks, moving vans, Uber’s, trash trucks, garbage cans left in the PBL by residents, joggers or scooters salmoning in the PBL, or when at an intersection I want to activate the crosswalk signal. I’m not a lawyer but my reading is the ebike sidewalk prohibition should in future apply only when PBL’s are not blocked in which case Virginia state law will permit ebikes to ride where you need to remain safe. An unintended consequence of § 46.2-1315 having been adopted in 2019, providing for localities to regulate scooter and ebike use, was that the County’s micromobility ordinance has been in effect since January 1, 2020, but until HB543/SB871 is signed by the governor and takes effect (I think on July 1, 2020) there is some uncertainty for ebike riders about whether we can legally ride around obstacles in the PBL. Under current Virginia law bicycles (and ebikes except where prohibited by local ordinance) are allowed to ride on sidewalks and the roadway. The wording in the upcoming revision of VA Code § 46.2-904.1 is “an electric power-assisted bicycle may be ridden in places where bicycles are allowed” and does not change VA Code § 46.2-905.3 which allows bicycles to leave the right curb or edge of the roadway “when reasonably necessary to avoid conditions including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes that make it unsafe to continue.”

This is mostly a storm in a teacup but does remind me a little of Casey Neistats bike lanes crash video when NYC put in place a similar restriction for cyclists.

[Dewey]

@lordofthemark 198043 wrote:

There is ANOTHER unscientific online poll, this time on Alexandria Times

https://alextimes.com/

A related article https://alextimes.com/2020/02/seminary-road-update/ makes for grim reading, Quote: Jackson alluded that Pepper would be the swing vote if there’s a vote at the Feb. 11 meeting. “I don’t know if my motion will have the four votes needed, to tell you the truth,” Jackson said. “We are still working on at least one councilmember, of course, and it is the one who we didn’t think anyone had to work on because she’s been fighting for the West End for 34 years”…as if the road diet isn’t for the benefit of residents.

[Dewey]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21087[/ATTACH]
So I took a Helbiz for a spin this lunchtime, the bike itself is mostly fine, adjustable seatpost but no adjustable stem, there is no way to change the pedal assist power level so it feels like its on full power when operating but there is a gradual ramp up so it wasn’t jerky, the thumb microshifters took a little getting used to but no chain derailments, standing on the pedals in top gear on the flat it felt like I was maxing out at maybe 16-18mph – there’s no speedo which is odd as its required to have a speed reading visible to the rider to operate an ebike in Arlington and soon in the state of Virginia. Sorry I forgot to check if it had working lights but I’m guessing it does? I took it up the new bridge outside Kennedy Center and it had no problems climbing the incline. I actually liked it has a cadence sensor because it meant I could rest my feet on the pedals when stopped at a light and the motor didn’t try to take off which can happen with pedal torque sensors.

The rental process started well enough once I had registered with the back of my drivers license, however the AXA frame lock didn’t work to let me return the bike when I reached my destination. I contacted Helbiz customer service via IM chat and they took the bike out of service, ended my trip in the app, and sent me an email confirming I was not liable for the unlocked bike while I went back to work.

[Dewey]

@Judd 197802 wrote:

Multiple folks on Twitter indicated that the app says scan the front of your ID, but you actually need to scan the back to sign up.

Thanks, it worked! Going to try one of these bikes out later. I got to look at one yesterday and they look identical to the Class 1 pedelecs formerly used by the Ford GoBike ebikeshare fleet in San Francisco, subsequently rebranded as Bay Wheels when they switched to a different model bike. The 1st generation bikes were assembled in Ann Arbor, MI, by GenZe, the ebike division of Indian auto company Tata, and are a modified version of their Genze 200 with the step-through frame and some different component choices eg different front brake Helbiz get a Sturmey Archer drum brake on the front, and throttle deleted to keep it a Class 1 pedelec, otherwise pretty much the same equipment as the Genze 200 with disk brake on the back due to the rear hub motor, 8-speed derailleur with thumb microshifters, 36v Samsung battery pack side-loaded into the down-tube, I heard GenZe use a basic cadence pedal assist sensor. I wonder if Helbiz made a deal with Genze to buy up the SF GoBike’s to bring a fleet to the DC market quickly?

For comparison:

Ford GoBike+ (1st generation)
Helbiz Bike

FWIW if you like the Helbiz bike enough to want to buy one, Genze refurbish and sell used their earlier but similar 100-series ebikes through the Genze website.

[Dewey]

DCist report on this week’s rollout of new company Helbiz ebikeshare bikes. The Helbiz operating area in the app shows DC and Alexandria but not Arlington, this is puzzling because Helbiz is not listed on the City of Alexandria’s list of permitted dockless mobility operators. Also part of the signup process requires the phone app scan a drivers license, but the app was unable to do so, Update: I reported the problem and they told me to sit tight until I got an email from Tech Support, anyone else able to complete the ID verification process?

[Dewey]

Update: HB543 & SB871 passed both the House and Senate and are being sent to the Governor for his signature, assuming he signs it the 3-class BPSA/PfB model ebike legislation should pass into Virginia law from July 1, 2020.

SB659 died in the judiciary committee, hopefully the bill’s sponsor Senator Surovell will try again next year.

SB437 passed the senate so presumably will next be sent to the House for approval.

[Dewey]

WTOP report a new feature of CaBi+ ebikeshare bikes will be a dockless option to end your trip anywhere in the operating area…when they eventually return.

[Dewey]

HB543 & SB871 introduce the BPSA/PfB 3-class model ebike legislation for consideration in 2020 by the Virginia general assembly.
This would change several aspects of operating an ebike in the state of Virginia including:
– introduce the 3 Class ebike definitions & labeling
– reduce permitted peak power from 1,000w to 750w
– increase top speed, where permitted, from 25mph to 28mph (Class 3 only)
– permit ebikes to ride on bicycle and shared-use paths, while reserving the right for localities and state agencies to restrict or ban ebikes
– mandatory helmet wearing while riding a Class 3 ebike

Another bill SB659 would change the contributory negligence legal standard in auto collisions with bicycles, pedestrians, ebikes and other vulnerable road users. If adopted this would provide similar legal protections with regard to making claims against drivers insurers that cyclists in DC won under the 2016 Motor Vehicle Collision Recovery Act

And SB437 would make it a Class 1 misdemeanor for a careless or distracted driver to inflict injury on pedestrians and cyclists (including ebikes) legally on the highway

[Author]

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