CityCycle articles discussion

[#Metro]

Well that one quickly backfired on Annastacia Palaszczuk

Free kick for the blue team... red team, what are they doing?!!

[ozbob]

Have the advisors already left?

[Stillwater]

They are too busy standing by the paper shredders - feeding in the documents.

[O_128]

She has outlined here usual argument for not increasing services.....60% arent used, hence we won't do anything to help increase it. 

[Golliwog]

My question is though, when Citycycle started, did they look at integrating with go card? If not, why not?

If they didn't, then coming along now, cap in hand is a bit much. Though Palaszczuk did sink the boot in a bit too hard, even if that is the case.

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Swipe Go Card to hire CityCycle bike

Swipe Go Card to hire CityCycle bike

    by: Sarah Vogler
    From: The Courier-Mail
    April 15, 2012 11:18AM

COMMUTERS may soon be able to hire a bike as part of Brisbane's controversial CityCycle scheme just by swiping their Go Card.

Premier Campbell Newman today confirmed Transport Minister Scott Emerson was looking into including CityCycle in the Go Card scheme.

The announcement has been met with relief from Lord Mayor Cr Graham Quirk who had been battling with the previous State Government to have the troubled bike hire scheme included.

Former transport minister Annastascia Palaszczuk had ruled out the move just prior to the March state poll.

Cr Quirk said he hoped the change would happen "as soon as possible" to help increase the number of people using the much-maligned bike hire scheme.

The Premier also indicated today that he would be moving to allow City Hall's planned Howard Smith Wharves development to go ahead after the former State Government rejected council's plans following the January flood.

[ozbob]

Looks like someone read Golliwog's comment and has acted.

Anyway this is a plus for Go-card and a good idea.

We have been pushing this for years ....

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Campbell Newman would link CityCycle to Go Card

Campbell Newman would link CityCycle to Go Card
Tony Moore
April 15, 2012 - 2:12PM

Brisbane's CityCycle scheme will be linked to the Go Card once technological and cost issues are resolved, Premier Campbell Newman said today.

Mr Newman - who introduced the CityCycle scheme to Brisbane as the city's Lord Mayor in September 2010  -  said it made sense to link the scheme to the Go Card scheme.

''I have no commitment today, but I will tell you today that I have already spoken to the Minister for Transport, Scott Emerson,'' Mr Newman said.

''And we will be looking at putting CityCyle onto Go Card, so that you will be able to use that."

He qualified his comments by saying: ''As long as we can get through the technological issues and the costs are not excessive, we are certainly prepared to do that to support the Council's cycling initiatives.''

During the state election campaign, the Labor Party rejected linking the Go Card and the CityCycle scheme, while the LNP agreed to look at the idea.

LNP would consider CityCycle/Go Card link

A link was also suggested in June 2011 by the public transport lobby group Rail: Back on Track.

A total of 146 CityCycle stations are operational in Brisbane, mainly around the inner-city and out to St Lucia and Newstead. The scheme is still running at a loss, however.

The CityCycle scheme costs Brisbane City Council around $1 million in operational costs each year and in the 2011-12 budget year the Council expects to receive around $450,000 in revenue from fares and a share of advertising revenue on the billboards linked to the scheme, Council told brisbanetimes.com.au in October 2011.

Cr Quirk, who earlier outlined his vision for an expanded bikeways network as part of his bid for re-election,   welcomed Mr Newman's comments.

''The linking of CityCycle to Go Card is a very good extension to the changes we made six months ago,'' Cr Quirk said.

In that time, there had been a 75 per cent rise in the number of people using CityCycle, he said.

''It has now had a 150,000 uses since it was implemented and I always said it was going to be an evolution, not a revolution.''

Mr Newman also flagged changes to the planning of South Bank this morning, saying he believed it could be better managed by Brisbane City Council.

South Bank is today operated by the South Bank Corporation, an organisation set up initially to develop the Expo 88 site after that event finished.

''If Graham Quirk is re-elected, after the election we will be sitting down and talking about the future of South Bank Corporation,'' Mr Newman said.

''And giving back the planning and development assessment powers to the Brisbane City Council.''

Brisbane City Council has previously disagreed with the location of the new ABC headquarters at South Bank and at the intensity of the development over the South Bank rail station.

Mr Newman, meantime, also said the Urban Land Development Authority would be reviewed.

''The Urban Land Development Development Authority that Anna Bligh and Labor set up is a unaccountable, un-democratic organisation,'' he said.

''And my plan is to give back the planning control on the area near the old Hamilton Wharves, around the Ekka ground, at Carseldine and at Woolloongabba at the old Go Print site back to the Lord Mayor and his team.''

The previous state government had ''cherry-picked'' those sites to fast-track housing accommodation, Mr Newman said.

Brisbane City Council was better able to fit those developments into their planning schemes, he said.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/campbell-newman-would-link-citycycle-to-go-card-20120415-1x15t.html

[Gazza]

A link was also suggested in June 2011 by the public transport lobby group Rail: Back on Track.

Go us 

[Fares_Fair]

Media release on the cards for this ?   

[Gazza]

I reckon wait till it actually happens.

[#Metro]

Let's wait until the chicken actually hatches!
I hope it really is swipe and go. Would be TERRIBLE if you had to pre-register before your go card was activated ... but what are the chances red tape will get in the way? 

[Gazza]

I think the only condition it needs is to make sure you have your go card registered with TL.

[techblitz]

I invite you to check the comments posted by readers on the Courier Mail article and you will notice a rather disturbing amount of people wishing for the helmets rule to be scrapped. This gives you a general main idea as to why this service turns away users....people dont want to worry about helmets or wear them....they would rather just turn up,swipe the card,get on without a helmet and hope they dont have an accident.......some of them think they are 10 feet tall and are immune to accidents because of the slow riding speeds?

Helmets are a must for safety as well as insurance purposes. Once the gocard feature is in then the helmet issue is clearly the priority. This  citiycycle service was poorly planned from the beginning....free helmets are a priority...last time i looked at a helmet they are made mostly of foam so cost is not an issue....and who wants to carry a helmet in thier handbag? Free,sanitised,clean helmets available from all stations. Im sure some sort of dispensing machine could be manufactured for this purpose surely.

here is 3 comments posted under the article for your enjoyment.

"Get rid of the compulsory bike helmet rule Campbell. Its an infringement on my civil rights and I am more than capable of assessing and addressing my own safety risk. Instruct your police and courts to go out and catch and punish some real criminals."

and another

"If you want the bikes to be used, scrap the helmet laws for adults. (There is a shortage of organ donors.) Should we remove the word "free" from the national anthem? There does not seem to be much of it about anymore."

how bout this one

"I don's see what all the fuss is about helmets. Here on the Gold Coast, if you exclude the lycra wearing set, only about 20% of cyclists wear helmets. Most of those who don't wear helmets, don't have lights either."

[#Metro]

People need helmets, this could be by

- scrapping the helmet rule
- just making helmets more available

I think the latter is easier, safer and possible to do.

[Fares_Fair]

I have been hit by cars twice in 8 years while cycling to/from my local station.
I have responsibilities and a family to support.
I wouldn't take the risk - ever.

A good law is one that ensures the safety and well-being of a person, or others, even when they do not want it to.
This isn't a nanny state issue IMHO, but of social responsibility.
In the end, we all pay the cost of their recuperation (if lucky enough not to be permanently brain damaged or dead).

[techblitz]

the main issue with free multi-use helmets is keeping them lice/contaminant free.

still the helmet issue needs to be fixed over the next year to increase usage. The ideal scenario : user swipes card,bike unlocks,helmet gets dispensed,ride to destination,and put helmet and bike back,tag off. Voila!

Ps: watch out for those lovely penalty fixed fare charges if you bring your bike back late

[Gazza]

the main issue with free multi-use helmets is keeping them lice/contaminant free.

Wear a hairnet I guess?

[Golliwog]

I have never used the city cycle yet as I can't be bothered setting up an account with them, and there aren't many trips I could feasibly make on them anyway. However, that said, if I did use them, I don't think I'd have any real qualms about using one of the yellow helmets that they put out on the bikes recently. Maybe just install something so you can wash the helmet out or something if people are really that concerned about it. Or just a box of hairnets instead of a helmet dispensor. Theres enough stuff on the side of our roads as it is without adding more to dispense helmets.

[Stillwater]

Have a dispenser ($ operated) dispensing those food industry 'shower caps' to wear inside helmets.  One cap could be used several times over by the same individual who bought it.

[#Metro]

The risk of infection by wearing a helmet is low risk. There's not much you could get from a helmet.

Helmets will change over time. I see a solution as an ethanol spray and a cord you attach to the helmet when you put it back to prevent theft, similar to what you see in electronics stores.

But people are happy to use helmets available I think.

[O_128]

I have been hit by cars twice in 8 years while cycling to/from my local station.
I have responsibilities and a family to support.
I wouldn't take the risk - ever.

A good law is one that ensures the safety and well-being of a person, or others, even when they do not want it to.
This isn't a nanny state issue IMHO, but of social responsibility.
In the end, we all pay the cost of their recuperation (if lucky enough not to be permanently brain damaged or dead).

Why, I'ma big boy and can make my own decision, I ride 3km to work on suburban roads, I should be able to decide for myself, make it compulsory for people under 18. Europe was fine regarding helmets, how about we teach drivers not to be idiots, and while we're at it teach them not to sit on 80 on the inside lane on a highway 😃

[dwb]

I invite you to check the comments posted by readers on the Courier Mail article and you will notice a rather disturbing amount of people wishing for the helmets rule to be scrapped. This gives you a general main idea as to why this service turns away users....people dont want to worry about helmets or wear them....they would rather just turn up,swipe the card,get on without a helmet and hope they dont have an accident.......some of them think they are 10 feet tall and are immune to accidents because of the slow riding speeds?

Helmets are a must for safety as well as insurance purposes. Once the gocard feature is in then the helmet issue is clearly the priority. This  citiycycle service was poorly planned from the beginning....free helmets are a priority...last time i looked at a helmet they are made mostly of foam so cost is not an issue....and who wants to carry a helmet in thier handbag? Free,sanitised,clean helmets available from all stations. Im sure some sort of dispensing machine could be manufactured for this purpose surely.

here is 3 comments posted under the article for your enjoyment.

"Get rid of the compulsory bike helmet rule Campbell. Its an infringement on my civil rights and I am more than capable of assessing and addressing my own safety risk. Instruct your police and courts to go out and catch and punish some real criminals."

and another

"If you want the bikes to be used, scrap the helmet laws for adults. (There is a shortage of organ donors.) Should we remove the word "free" from the national anthem? There does not seem to be much of it about anymore."

how bout this one

"I don's see what all the fuss is about helmets. Here on the Gold Coast, if you exclude the lycra wearing set, only about 20% of cyclists wear helmets. Most of those who don't wear helmets, don't have lights either."

My understanding is that NZ is the only other country to mandate helmet use.

If you look at the data the policy has perverse safety implications actually making it overall MORE dangerous... In short less cyclists due to mandatory laws is a greater overall risk than the increased risk of injury without a helmet. That's forgetting that we don't mandate pedestrians to wear ineffective protective gear from cars, or even rugby players to wear caps. I'll be fine thanks keep your nanny state out if my life!

[Cam]

I tend to agree with 0_128 & dwb on this issue. Many western countries have no requirement for a helmet on a public road so why can't adults in Queensland ride on dedicated or shared bicycle paths without a helmet? By far the greatest risk to cyclists are their own poor decisions when on a road & the dangerous actions of vehicle drivers when around them. Helmets did not save the three Ipswich Cycling Club members killed on Ipswich roads last year. Surely, if an adult is riding a bicycle on a dedicated bicycle path or an off road shared path then there shouldn't be a need for a helmet.

I'll briefly discuss the sad state of affairs in Ipswich City Council with regards to attitudes towards cycling. The ignorant & dangerous attitudes of drivers in Ipswich & the Ipswich City Council needs to change significantly if Ipswich is to be seen as anything more than a "redneck" society. The attitude of Brisbane drivers is not much better but at least the BCC has spent a reasonable amount on off road cycling tracks so that cyclists can safely ride in some areas away from vehicular traffic.

How much has Ipswich City Council spent on cycling infrastructure this last year? It's less than a million dollars & most of that was spent on one project - the Brassall Bikeway. The council is happy to publicise spending on cycling infrstructure when the Queensland Government give it grants or when paths & bridges are built as part of the Ipswich Motorway upgrade paid for by the Australian Government.

Have a look at what Brisbane City Council has spent & are promising to spend on cycling infrastructure. Have a look at the criterium track that was built at Toowoomba by its council. Now ride a bicycle around Ipswich & note the non-existant on road bicycle lanes & the almost non-existant off road bicycle paths. The Ipswich mayor has progressed Ipswich well in many areas but he has ignored council spending on cycling infrastructure. The council elections are just days away & the local media are either too scared or not interested in publicising how little is being spent by the council on cycling infrstructure. Try to walk or ride a bicycle along Brisbane Terrace across Goodna Creek in peak hour. I don't recommend it unless you want to prematurely end your life.

A final point that must be made. A police officer sitting in the rear seat of a speed camera vehicle & reading a paper or book does little to deter dangerous driving under the speed limit & that includes driving too close to or cutting off cyclists.

[johnnigh]

Is City Cycle really a failure, or will it just take some time to catch on? Whilst Go Card integration would be helpful, is it really going to get people to use City Cycle?

BHS scheme in Tel Aviv Israel was begun when Israel also had a mandatory helmet requirement.

In October 2010 City Cycle launched in Brisbane and as at today if usage is the key performance indicator it is  a failure. The commitments made by the ALP and LNP at the recent council elections were in spite of City Cycle, not because of it.

In April 2011 Tel Aviv launched their BHS with 150 stations "Tel-O-Fun" https://www.tel-o-fun.co.il/en/ , with mixed success. In  August 2011 mandatory helmet use within city limits in Israel is rescinded, after their Israeli Parliament acknowledges that it deters people from riding. The Tel Aviv BHS is now a  success with another fifty stations going in. One other interesting point is that in Tel Aviv fifteen years ago there were not any bike lanes, now they are building 150km of bike lanes due to the success of their BHS.

Compare the use between Brisbane and Tel Aviv to consider if mandatory helmet use was repealed, how many more people who use the scheme?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
To work out the usage on the attached links click on a station; if the line is flat no one is using the bike, if the line is jumping up and down, the station is busy.
                       
http://bikes.oobrien.com/?city=brisbane <http://bikes.oobrien.com/?city=brisbane>

http://bikes.oobrien.com/?city=telaviv <http://bikes.oobrien.com/?city=telaviv>

It is worth noting that New York is about to join the BHS world by launching their scheme with 10,000 bikes at 600 stations. In NYC Helmets are required by law for children age 13 or younger and working cyclists.

It's time to get rid of the mandatory nanny-state helmet law at least for city cycle and utility cycling or remain locked into a low cycling culture that actually endangers those of us who do ride, as the evidence clearly shows that the greater the cycling density, the lower the motor vehicle/cycle accident rate, so much so that for highest mode shares the absolute number of KSI incidents falls. As helmets are really a con, they don't do what they're 'cracked up' to do (totally useless in an incident with a 50kph car), get rid of them and allow Brisbane people to ride their bikes.

[#Metro]

I don't agree, and here's why.

The central issue is convenience, not helmet laws.
It is inconvenient because helmet laws apply and helmet access isn't easy.

If helmets were easily and freely or next to freely available, you'd get pretty much the same result, plus there would be no need to rescind the laws.

The reason why CityCycle isn't working as good as it could be is because:

1. Helmets not freely available
2. No integration

So the fix is:

1. Make helmets easily and freely/cheaply available abundant (or repeal helmet laws, but as a survivor of a bad accident where I could have got my head in a mess, I'm not for repeal)
2. Integrate with GoCard

[somebody]

Haven't they already tried increasing helmet availability?

[Jonno]

It is worth noting that New York is about to join the BHS world by launching their scheme with 10,000 bikes at 600 stations. In NYC Helmets are required by law for children age 13 or younger and working cyclists.

Plenty of medical evidence to show that helmets have them most significant safety impact from 12 and below.    I think such a law makes sense.  Those above 13 can still waer them if they choose which I would if riding in mixed traffic on major road.

[johnnigh]

Too much anecdote and too little epidemiology is the usual story in argument about helmet laws.

Just because you've fallen off your bike (and I have, a number of times over 40 years cycling) doesn't mean that helmets make it safer. Tramtrain, you are welcome to wear your helmet when riding up your residential street to the post office, or on a segregated bikeway, but I don't think you should compel me to do so.

As for the argument that having helmets easily available: the evidence, not the anecdotes, is that bike hire schemes don't work if helmets are required. Melbourne is an example as the http://bikes.oobrien.com/?city=melbourne website indicates: helmets are available, virtually free, but take-up remains derisory. The Tel Aviv example is a large-numbers experiment that showed a failing scheme was transformed by the sensible change of helmet law.

By the way, a helmet will be useful only if you hit your head on something at a velocity equivalent to falling over from a standing position, no more. That's all they're tested for (dropped from 2m). A hit from a car or crashing head-first into a power pole at 35kph and the helmet is irrelevant. The main benefit of helmets day to day is a false sense of security that allows you to ride on roads, and in ways, that you would otherwise avoid. You might be better off not wearing the helmet and taking more care.

I do wear my helmet on my road bike. It has never been relevant to a fall. And it may indeed encourage me to do things I should not.

[#Metro]

Just because you've fallen off your bike (and I have, a number of times over 40 years cycling) doesn't mean that helmets make it safer. Tramtrain, you are welcome to wear your helmet when riding up your residential street to the post office, or on a segregated bikeway, but I don't think you should compel me to do so.

Well I don't agree with this at all. Head injuries are very serious and there's no going back. You say I shouldn't compel you, yet if you fall off and get brain damage off you will be claiming $10 000s in medicare and funds from the taxes that I am compelled to pay just because you couldn't be personally responsible and spend $20 on a helmet for yourself.

[Golliwog]

By the way, a helmet will be useful only if you hit your head on something at a velocity equivalent to falling over from a standing position, no more. That's all they're tested for (dropped from 2m). A hit from a car or crashing head-first into a power pole at 35kph and the helmet is irrelevant. The main benefit of helmets day to day is a false sense of security that allows you to ride on roads, and in ways, that you would otherwise avoid. You might be better off not wearing the helmet and taking more care.

While they may only be tested to dropped from 2m, saying anything faster than that and they're useless is utter crap. I've managed to go over the handle bars when my front wheel got caught in an unseen pothole going down a grassed hill, where I landed on my head and was knocked out. While my helmet was shattered into half a dozen pieces, it certainly did it's job of stopping my head being the thing that shattered.

That said, I think compulsory for everyone is still a debate worth having.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Should be compulsary until your 18. After that if you stuff yourself up because you weren't wearing your helmet its your own fault. Don't expect to get compo from public funding/governmenst to pay for your medical expenses. The same for those dills that broke their neck diving into the ocean at the beach or jumping off a cliff. Common sense should apply more oftern.

[#Metro]

Common sense would suggest you wear a helmet for $20.
Even if they couldn't claim compo, someone who is brain dead/damaged still leaves behind a cost - they can't work, so labour has to be found elsewhere... that's a loss to the economy overall.

Nobody has done the common sense thing with regards to smoking, dangerous sports, crossing roads etc... the health system isn't judgmental.

[ozbob]

From Couriermail Quest click here!

Better access to CityCycles with new Bike Brisbane iPhone App launched at Hack Brisbane

Better access to CityCycles with new Bike Brisbane iPhone App launched at Hack Brisbane

    by: James Drew, South-West News
    From: Quest Newspapers
    June 18, 2012 3:00PM

Accessing Brisbane's CityCycles just got easier for smartphone users, with app designer Matthew Purcell releasing his Bike Brisbane iPhone App.

The app lets users find bike station, determine how many are available and calculates the hire cost as you travel.

Yesterday Mr Purcell was announced as a winner of the Hack:Brisbane competition, along with app developer Kelwyn Graham - who created a disability access map.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has awarded both software developers $10,000 for their efforts and both app are now available free from Apple's App Store.

The competition closed May 18, but attracted 53 entries in its open category and 18 in the Access and Inclusion category, which called for entries which helped make Brisbane a more accessible and inclusive city.

Despite the quality entries, spending $10,000 on an app which promotes CityCycles has been labelled wasteful by Labor's opposition leader Councillor Milton Dick (Richlands).

Cr Dick said last year Council spent $18,000 on 250 CityCycle helmets, yet the hire scheme was still failing.

"It's no secret where the bikes are,'' Cr Dick said of the app.

"They're sitting on the side of the road gathering dust and rust like big yellow lemons.''

[beauyboy]

WE just need the flipping thing intergrated with GO Card it make it easier to use.

Donald

[beauyboy]

at least it is not negitive

Donald

[ozbob]

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/ig7dfr

Why I'm finally giving up on CityCycle:

I was a CityCycle early adopter. I pushed through the criticisms and ridicule about the cost, inconvenience, clunky bikes, and silly helmet issues, because I wanted to support an initiative that was intended to get people out into the city, moving and exploring, emissions-free.

I got over it when CityCycle double-charged my bank account when I subscribed for a second year, and then insisted (imperiously) that I send them evidence before they would MAIL ME A CHEQUE (is this 1986? And how could they not see they had charged me twice?).

I shrugged when CityCycle emailed the entire subscriber service without using the blind carbon copy function, exposing hundreds of email addresses to identity thieves and spammers.

I swallowed my frustration when CityCycle offered incentives to new users and subscribers while ignoring the loyal early adopters like me.

But now:

CityCycle intends to block my account because my payment card is about to expire, according to this email: "If your credit card details are not updated shortly, your CityCycle subscription will be blocked 3 days before the end of the month."

Then: CityCycle wants to charge me to update my payment card and then "reimburse me" in CityCycle credits - see website "To modify your payment card details, click on the "My payment details" button. Your bank account will be charged AUD $1 which will be automatically credited on your CityCycle account."

This is despite the fact that charged me for the full year subscription back in November last year, so they just need the credit card to secure additional charges I might rack up by keeping a bike too long in the last few months of my subscription. Surely there is a better way to prevent this than blocking my account (or charging me for the privilege of changing my own payment details).

After spending 18 months doing my best to be positive about CityCycle, taking to Twitter to defend it from criticism, and boldly talking it up to friends and colleagues - CityCycle, you have defeated me.

[beauyboy]

That is very disappointing.

Robert can you please repost the link it does seam to be working.

Donald

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> 70 per cent of CityCycle helmets go missing

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> 70 per cent of CityCycle helmets go missing

612 ABC Brisbane Radio Breakfast with Spencer Howson

69% of CityCycle helmets have walked

06 September 2012 , 8:17 AM by Spencer Howson

Council figures show that around 1500 CityCycle helmets have gone missing with 650 helmets remaining at stations throughout Brisbane.

The helmets were part of a range of improvements to increase CityCycle usage. But will the stolen helmets doom the program? Peter Matic is Chair of Public and Active Transport:

Click --> here!