Article: Few Melbournians saddle up to bike share

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Few Melbournians saddle up to bike share

Few Melbournians saddle up to bike share

   * Terry Brown
   * From: Herald Sun
   * June 01, 2010 12:00AM

MELBOURNE'S beaut blue bike revolution has proven an instant hit with tourists, but not with cyclists.

Visitors poked the electronic payment consoles, sat on the seats, pedalled backwards, played with the bells and took pictures of each other yesterday.

But in the 90 minutes from 3pm, at the city's busiest corner, Flinders and Swanston streets, not a single credit card went in, or bike went out.

And tourists were doubtful they'd risk their necks trying to negotiate Melbourne's tram lines, cars, buses, horse-drawn carriages and, yesterday, street sweepers.

The 10 racks holding 100 of the indestructible-looking 18kg bikes opened for business along the Swanston St corridor, and another 40 racks and 500 bikes are to come.

Run by the RACV on a credit card only system, riders can subscribe for $50 a year or get a daily hire for $2.50.

For that they get a 30-minute pedal, and then extra charges apply.

While two hours of full-fare tram travel costs $3.70, two hours on the bikes is $19.50.

If one is out for more than 10 hours it's $370 - enough to buy a pretty good bike.

Helmets are not provided. Discount ones will be available at city shops, but maps saying where aren't up yet.

Adam Boyle, 28, from Cheltenham in the UK, has seen a bike hire system at home, and seen its wheels fall off. The bikes there were just too ugly to be seen riding.

"We did have one in Cheltenham. The wheels were covered in advertising, flags came out of the top and they were bright yellow," he said. "I'd be nervous riding one here. Obviously you've got buses, cars and trams to deal with."

Student Fred Chan, 19, from Hong Kong, liked the convenience of the bike hire scheme, but said he wouldn't be caught dead riding one.

"No, no, no, no," he said. "I think it doesn't look so good."

One man predicted the bikes would attract city toughs, flat tyres and broken spokes.

Several wondered at the BYO helmet requirement and Emma Gaudelius, 34, from Elwood, figured that if you had one with you, you'd also have a bike.

"How does the bike know you're not wearing a helmet?" she said.

The Government and RACV said last night it was too early so say how popular the bikes were yesterday, and expected business to pick up as people found out.

[#Metro]

Politics can undermine a good idea to the point of destroying it. Don't rush, test test test and get feedback.
For the first period, the service needs heavy marketing and to be FREE so that people can try it and get used for it. There also needs to be hand-in-hand on the ground improvements to make cycling safe.

City paths are clogged with pedestrians, and bus traffic on adelaide street deters riders. Green painted lanes don't go far enough. Copenhagen bike lanes need to be extended to cover the city (perhaps not every street, but enough to get around). This can be done by reclaiming car parking spaces (controversial, but there is no avoiding that) and has been done well on George Street with a 2 lane copenhagen bike lane. This should be rolled out in other places- Woolloongabba, West End, New Farm and Fortitude Valley.

The more safe, and more places get connected the network, it will become more attractive for people to ride on.
Also another opportunity to integrate with GoCard.