Could Bike Sharing Come to Fort Worth?
May 10, 2011 at 9:09 am | Bicycles | Tags: Bicycling, Cultural District, Downtown, Infrastructure, Near Southside, Sustainability, transportation
Story by Bernie Scheffler, photos by Kevin Buchanan
Yesterday we got a tip that the folks from B Cycle, the bike sharing system that is exploding in popularity in forward-thinking cities across the country, had set up a bike sharing station at City Hall and were demonstrating how it works to city staff. Being the sort of anything-but-more-roads alternative transportation advocates we are, we naturally had to head downtown to check it out.
Of several attempts at bike-sharing systems in the U.S., B Cycle has gained momentum most quickly. The first system, in Denver, was installed about a year ago, and today there are already 10 other cities with operational B Cycle systems. Having tried B Cycle out, we can see why it has grown so quickly. This is the kind of affordable, easy-to-use system that removes most every obstacle to ridership.
A B Cycle experience starts at a handsome solar-powered kiosk. Users have a choice of purchasing a one-day membership (great for visitors and tourism) at the kiosk with a credit card, or purchasing a weekly, monthly, or annual membership beforehand. The one-day membership takes a little less than a minute to purchase, and then bikes can be ridden and checked back in at any station. Usage fees are paid upon dropping the bike back off at a B Cycle station, and accrue based on time of use. (In most active B Cycle systems, keeping a bike in-use for 30 minutes or less before parking at a kiosk costs nothing in usage fees.)
Annual members have an even quicker check out process, as they are mailed an RFID membership card that they can simply wave above the dock of the bike they wish to check out. This check out process takes about 10 seconds.
The bikes themselves, of course, are the real stars of the show. They’re designed and built specifically for B Cycle, and since they are instantly recognizable as B Cycle bikes (even if painted or otherwise disguised), the likelihood of theft is greatly reduced.
Thanks to some thoughtful geometry tweaks and extreme seat-height adjustability, the bike comfortably fits most anybody up to 6’5″. A practical 3-speed drivetrain and super durable roller brakes add to the bikes’ ease of use, while real world necessities like fenders, skirtguards, and a sizable basket with integrated lock mean you can hop on in any attire and pedal to your destination. A generator enclosed inside the front hub also powers front and rear lights (which have capacitors storing a charge to keep them ablaze for several minutes, even when the bike has come to a stop) ensuring the bike remains street legal at any hour.
Finally, the continued success of bike sharing systems depends on preventing theft and keeping the bikes well maintained so that they remain enjoyable to use. That may be where B Cycle shines the brightest. B Cycle developed an onboard, GPS-enabled computer that allows each bike’s location to be tracked as well as the number of miles each bike has been ridden. This technology enables support staff to stay on top of rebalancing the number of bikes at each station when necessary, and makes preventative maintenance programs far easier to implement. When a bike reaches a recommended service interval, it can be tuned up and back on the road quickly, thus avoiding breakdowns and their accompanying down time.
One big key to the success of a program like B Cycle is the ease of locating nearby bike pick-up and drop-off locations, so we were glad to hear that planners are hoping for 15-20 densely situated stations for the first phase of the B Cycle program. Fort Worth won’t be able to claim to be the first Texas B Cycle city, as San Antonio has already launched their own B Cycle system, but planners hope to implement a starter system in the next year, so Fort Worth could potentially be the second.
As is the case with most potential projects right now, whether or not B Cycle takes flight in Fort Worth depends on money. The city cannot afford to finance the system on their own, so they are currently weighing some different outside funding strategies like grants, or potentially helping a nonprofit launch the system. We hope they work it out somehow, because this is an idea that has the potential to do Fort Worth’s central city a world of good.