CityCycle articles discussion

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Brisbane CityCycle scheme cost ratepayers $1m last financial year

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane's CityCycle hire scheme loses $1 million a year

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> The 4101 postcode including West End, Highgate Hill and South Brisbane, has the most CityCycle users

[HappyTrainGuy]

One would hope so considering that's where they are installed. I'd be very concerned if 4037 or 4520 had the most users

[ozbob]

One would hope so considering that's where they are installed. I'd be very concerned if 4037 or 4520 had the most users

+1    :bi

[#Metro]

One would hope so considering that's where they are installed. I'd be very concerned if 4037 or 4520 had the most users

Yes, though I think it is part a function of how close West End etc are close to the CBD. Transport times by walk/bicycle/pt would be similar, and car would be expensive due to high parking costs.

Sill hope for a swipe and GoCard. You could link the card to a credit card / other ID information to guard against vandalism.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane's CityCycle program held back by fear, frustration

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> CityCycle's $8.3 million cost to ratepayers revealed

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Brisbane's CityCycle scheme sparkling clean

[verbatim9]

Queensland Greens (BCC) plan to upgrade City Cycle infrastructure to Tap and Go (contactless) payments with no deposit and no registration. http://itsyourbrisbane.com/media/executive-bonuses-scrapped-to-fix-citycycle/

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane CityCycle could be turned around: stakeholders

Brisbane's maligned CityCycle bicycle hire scheme has cost the city more than $8 million since it was introduced, but key stakeholders have insisted things could easily be turned around with some simple adjustments.

Introduced in 2010 by then-lord mayor Campbell Newman, who was impressed with a similar scheme in Paris during a family holiday in Europe, the CityCycles have been slow off the mark.

According to a Brisbane City Council spokeswoman, there were 300,000 CityCycle trips in the 2014-15 financial year – up 16 per cent from the previous year.

"More than 1.2 million trips have now been made using CityCycle since its inception in 2010 and it continues to grow in popularity for both residents and visitors alike," she said.

"...With an average of more than 6500 individuals using CityCycle each week, it is clear that CityCycle is becoming a part of the active Brisbane lifestyle."

Those 300,000 annual trips meant an average of 822 CityCycle trips were made every day.

But with 2000 bikes on Brisbane's street, the fact remained the majority of CityCycles did little more than gather dust.

So what can be done to turn it around? Fairfax Media asked that question of three key stakeholders.

And it seemed a lack of cycling infrastructure and Queensland's compulsory helmet laws topped their lists of issues.

Bicycle Queensland cycling development manager Bernard Holland

Bicycle Queensland supports the concept of the CityCycle scheme as it gets more people cycling more often.

As with all bike riding activities however, growth in patronage is best achieved by addressing the preventative issues.

These are accessibility and safety.

Bicycle Queensland believes that council has addressed accessibility, especially with the distribution of helmets to CityCycle locations. However, safety will remain an ongoing concern while CityCycle users share the majority of the point-to-point journeys with cars, trucks and buses.

Council has a city plan that outlines a desire for separated bikeways through the CBD and Bicycle Queensland will work with council and other stakeholders to achieve this outcome for the benefit of a more prolific CityCycle scheme and for everyday commuting.

We believe that the barometer of success for any CityCycle scheme rests with female bike riders, who are less likely to risk a CityCycle journey on a shared road with cars, buses and trucks.

CBD Bicycle Users Group co-convenor Richard Bean

Bike sharing schemes operate in more than 1000 cities in approximately 60 countries.

Brisbane's CityCycle is among the world's 20 largest schemes, but is recording only 0.5 trips per bike per day; about one-tenth the rate of its peers.

This is largely due to three factors: a lack of protected cycling infrastructure, mandatory helmet laws, and an inconvenient sign-up process.

Protected cycling infrastructure could be trialled in Brisbane's CBD with minimal impact on other road users.

A Queensland parliamentary committee already recommended a trial exemption of helmet laws for bike share users based on bike share's safety record, and CityCycle (with Melbourne and Seattle) is one of only three large-scale schemes with these laws.

These trials would bring Brisbane into line with other world cities such as London, New York, Chicago and Paris.

Finally, the sign-up process would be much more convenient with credit card readers on each station.

RAIL: Back on Track public transport advocate Robert Dow

Helmets should be optional on CityCycle. This is the major obstacle. 

Most city bicycle sharing schemes globally do not have mandatory helmet requirement and are successful.  Where helmets are compulsory it seems to deter use actually.

Another factor is the lack of dedicated bicycle only path, etc, but this is slowly being addressed.

[ozbob]

FYI

Chicago Tribune --> No fatalities, fewer injuries for Divvy riders

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Deputy mayor backs voluntary helmet trial

[verbatim9]

Helsinki integrates bike share into Public Transport System ----->

http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/helsinki-integrates-new-bike-share-program-with-public-transportation-system/

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Mayor defends cost of CityCycle

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> $15 million bill puts a spoke in bike plan

BRISBANE ratepayers have lost almost $15 million on the council's struggling CityCycle scheme during the past eight years, despite assurances it would not lose money.

Figures obtained by The Courier-Mail show Brisbane City Council has poured $26.5 million into the bike-hire service since it began in 2008, but it has managed to recoup only $11.5 million in revenue.

This is despite former LNP lord mayor Campbell Newman vowing the scheme would be cost neutral.

Public and Active Transport chairman Adrian Schrinner said the money was a "small cost" for what was a "valuable public transport option" that averaged about 26,500 monthly trips.

"Council subsidises operations of buses and ferries by $122 million a year," Cr Schrinner said. "Our CityCycle service has cost us just over $500,000 during the past ­financial year after revenue."

"The agreement with CityCyle partner JC Decaux has also given council the opportunity to sell Brisbane to the world with international advertising, boosting the city's profile.

"With our growing international profile, Brisbane is seeing record numbers of international tourists," Cr Schrinner said ...

[#Metro]

Cycling isn't public transport because 1 person per 1 vehicle.

It is also not demonstrated that the trips were generated from cars.

The scheme is likely cannibalising PT and walking trips instead.

Of course, Brisbane City Council's councillors appear to be incapable of receiving or processing valid feedback.

Everything they do is a 'success', even if it is a plain failure, it is still a 'success'.

The Emperor has no clothes. 

[ozbob]

Successful bicycle share schemes around the world are all distinguished by one essential factor.  They do not have compulsory helmets.

:bi

[James]

Successful bicycle share schemes around the world are all distinguished by one essential factor.  They do not have compulsory helmets.

:bi

I think this is an oversimplification of the matter as there is a lot more at play. Cycle stations are all near BUZ routes (what's the point of cycling then?), lack of safe cycling facilities, weather, barriers to using a CityCycle (subscription/advanced planning required) and so forth. Bike hire is nice in Europe where the weather is (generally) not too hot and lovely for cycling, with the traffic so slow you sail past the cars. In Brisbane, you choke on exhaust fumes as cars whiz past in 25-30 degree temperatures at 4 in the afternoon.

It isn't really correct to compare Brisbane with European cities as their development and density is totally different - success is better measured by comparing it to 'new western cities' (US, Canada, NZ).

[ozbob]

Australian bike hire schemes fail because of helmet laws

>> http://www.cycle-helmets.com/bike-hire-schemes.html

:bi

[#Metro]

If you look at the areas that have higher cycling, they are generally inner city areas.

To promote cycling, simply increase the density of people living in these inner city areas.

That is the main difference between European cities and Australian cities. Lots of people live in the inner city in Europe.

This is not so much the case in Australia, Australian CBDs are generally office buildings.

Also, you need that minimum grid Bicycle Queensland has been pushing for and good bike parking options.


Many years ago, I rode to work in the CBD. There was no bicycle parking in the underground car park, so I said

something to the building manager. The manager was very resistant asking how many times a week it would be used, how many people

would use it, whether it would be financially worth it - you know, everything you could think of to blow you off. (Meanwhile, there were

heaps of car parks everywhere. Plenty of space).  I didn't want to leave my bicycle outside in the city as even if people don't steal it,

often people will vandalise the lights, let down the tyres, wreck the wheels by kicking and deforming it or add their own lock to your

chain and leave just to be a nuisance.


If you look at the Melbourne case, they have excellent bike parking at train stations by Parkiteer.

[ozbob]

In the 1950s and 1960s bicycle use was very popular in all Australian cities. We often rode to school and went on miscellaneous journeys eg. fishing or whatever.  I infact rode a bicycle for a living for a while as well (delivering telegrams) apart from the years I delivered morning papers by bicycle.  Bicycles were every where.  Gradually cars came to displace many of the trips that individuals did on bikes.  Helmets were not worn for work or leisure as a rule, with the exception of track racing.

It was interesting to note during my recent visit to Melbourne that the local newsagency at Murrumbeena has finally succumbed and the paper boys on bicycles are now gone.  Paper delivery is by a car these days.   However I was pleased to note the local postie was a on push bike.  Nice red one too, just like we had in the PMG 

Spending time on a bicycle on a daily basis did improve overall health outcomes, obesity was not the problem it is today.  Getting people to walk these days is hard enough let alone bicycle riding!  Oh, I might get hurt ... poor diddams.

Bicycle share schemes are good investments for a wide range of reasons.  Society needs to accept that we are really responsible for our own actions and consequences.  Wrapping everyone in cotton-wool is not the best thing in the end.

[ozbob]

^^

These are Parkiteer cages at Werribee railway station.  Melbourne has lots of options for bicycle parking.

Werribee railway station is also a major bus interchange as well.





Photographs R Dow 2nd July 2016

[SurfRail]

There isn't a single part of SEQ where the wayfinding signage is as good as it is interstate - especially Melbourne and Perth.

[newbris]

The main issue with cycling in general is safety from automobile drivers.

The low quality of, and lack of, separated bike infrastructure is the biggest barrier overall imo. The general standards they use for even new on-road infrastructure is terrible.

In the areas near the safe river paths where city cycle is often located the helmet laws play a bigger part as well as poor infrastructure across the city core itself (minimum grid) as the safe infrastructure only goes around the perimeter.

The inner city is obviously by far the most dense part of Brisbane with plenty living there and an unfulfilled pent up demand. Cycling is particularly great for all the routes that don't match the transport routes or for multi modal travel or where parking is expensive. Every time safe infrastructure is opened we see numbers shoot up. Women in particular have been shown to be a good indicator of cycling safety and Brisbane has a very low % of women cycling. When the very safe New Farm river walk route opened the % of women shot up dramatically on that commute.

Obviously cycling to the CBD and back shouldn't be the only aim. A huge percentage of trips all over greater Brisbane are less than 5km. Safe infrastructure would translate into savings for all of us if we could increase cycling numbers.

[ozbob]

There isn't a single part of SEQ where the wayfinding signage is as good as it is interstate - especially Melbourne and Perth.

Yep.  Always good to see the other systems.  SEQ really is a backwater of mediocrity ..   

Even simple things like signing bus connections at rail stations, generally non existent around SEQ.  Take Goodna, if you didn't have prior knowledge there is no way the average punter would know that there are buses.  Repeat around the network.

[#Metro]

Even simple things like signing bus connections at rail stations, generally non existent around SEQ.  Take Goodna, if you didn't have prior knowledge there is no way the average punter would know that there are buses.  Repeat around the network.

Over in Perth they have full bus interchange connection maps, they show all the buses as lines approaching the station on a map.

TOO HARD for Qld!!

[ozbob]

Helmets optional for folks over 18 years @Schrinner
> https://t.co/bJUI45ZQ9R

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) July 7, 2016

How does downtown L.A.'s bike-share system work? > https://t.co/Vxr6r7Jo0i

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) July 7, 2016

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> CityCycle monthly fee option coming, along with digital billboards

Brisbane City Council has negotiated one of the biggest shake-ups to its maligned CityCycle bike hire scheme, meaning operator JCDecaux will introduce tap-and-pay facility at stations in return for digital billboards across the city.

Public transport chairman Adrian Schrinner announced in the council chamber on Tuesday the council had renegotiated its contract with JCDecaux to allow monthly memberships at a cost of $5.

"That monthly membership provides an opportunity for people who would prefer to pay $5 a month rather than the current opportunity, which is an annual membership of $60 over the year," he said.

"I know that most of us, when we're faced with the option of paying a one-up free of $60 or paying a monthly fee of $5, would take the $5 option because it's more convenient and it's not a one-off hit to the budget."

A $3/month option would be available to students and tap-and-go credit and debit card facilities would be introduced at CityCycle stations.

"This will make is quicker and simpler for people, on the spot, to sign up to the scheme," Cr Schrinner said.

"At the moment, if you want to sign up to CityCycle – and you often see people doing this – they have to get on to the internet, so they're looking at their phone trying to work out the steps to get through that process.

"This will simplify the process. The sign-up process will be quicker and easier and, hopefully, will encourage more of those spur-of-the-moment trips."

But other changes to the contract raised eyebrows on the Labor side of the chamber, in particular the move to digital billboards to offset the cost of the scheme.

"Importantly, we have made a change to the contract, which I believe is a sensible change because it protects the financial interests of the ratepayers, to allow JCDecaux to switch over their static, paper-based billboards to digital," Cr Schrinner said.

That led to interjections from the Labor opposition.

"Yes, more advertising, that's right," he said in response to those interjections.

"More advertising means more revenue potential for council going forward, which then can help offset the cost of this scheme."

Opposition leader Councillor Peter Cumming said all the details of the JCDecaux contract, which had been renegotiated without public scrutiny, should be released.

"The LNP's 20-year contract with JCDecaux for the failed CityCycle scheme has already cost Brisbane ratepayers more than $15 million in the first eight years of operation," he said.

"These changes give CityCycle approval to change all of their static billboards, located on council-owned footpaths, to electronic billboards.

"This will lead to record advertising revenue for JCDecaux. This failed scheme has been a disaster from day one after the LNP promised ratepayers that CityCycle would be cost-neutral for Brisbane.

"The LNP signed Brisbane ratepayers up to a dud deal and now they're sweetening the pot for JCDecaux even more."

[#Metro]

It is good that this is finally evolving into something useful. Monthly option is a good start. Helmets and safe CBD grid would be the next steps.

[ozbob]

@Robert_Dow @brisbanetimes no luck yet on helmets. I've written to @MarkBaileyMP re optional helmet trial.

— Cr Adrian Schrinner (@Schrinner) August 16, 2016

[ozbob]

CityCycle has announced a range of exciting improvements, including new $5/month membership! Find out what's new at https://t.co/p3wny3V4vB pic.twitter.com/Xg5hYUWvvu

— Brisbane City (@brisbanecityqld) November 5, 2016

[ozbob]

#CityCycleBrisbane ridership is growing. A record number of trips were taken on 15 November - a total of 1,522 trips in one day. 🚲🚲🚲

— Adrian Schrinner (@Schrinner) November 23, 2016

[ozbob]

Another #CityCycle daily record blitzed: 2,330 trips made on ANZAC Day. That's a massive 95% increase on the same day last year. @Team_Quirk

— Adrian Schrinner (@Schrinner) April 28, 2017

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane CityCycle: Tap-and-go cards to go live by July 1

BRISBANE City Council is counting on new CityCycle bank card facilities to help stem almost $16 million in losses since the scheme was introduced nine years ago.

The tap-and-go facilities are due to go live across the entire 150 CityCycle stations, which house at least 2000 bikes, by the end of this financial year.

BCC has spent $30.4 million on the scheme since its inception in 2008, with most of that money going towards start-up costs. In the same time City­Cycle has pulled in $14.8 million, with revenue streams steadily increasing every year for the past three years.

Subscriptions have reached 266,000, jumping by 76,000 in this financial year alone.

Council's Adrian Schrinner said he believed the $15.6 million loss was a "small cost" for a "valuable public transport option" despite former lord mayor Campbell Newman promising the scheme would be cost-neutral.

Council Opposition Leader Peter Cumming said council should release the contract details of the deal done with JC Decaux after it was announced "significant changes" had been made to it last year.

"At that time, the administration sweetened the advertising pot for JC Decaux, so that's the only reason it's costing us less," Cr Cumming said.

"Ratepayers have had to cop 150-plus new billboards and signs on footpaths to make it so."

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Schrinner/status/880163879728300036

[aldonius]

That argument between Bailey and Schrinner though...

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane's CityCycle bike hire scheme tracking for record usage in next financial year

BRISBANE City Council insists the often maligned CityCycle scheme is far from washed up, with a record number of trips being taken in July.

The bright yellow bikes were checked out more than 57,000 times last month, in a promising start to a financial year, on the back of booming numbers for the scheme.

The 2016-17 financial year saw a 35 per cent increase in the number of trips taken, to 522,388.

That was also a 70 per cent increase on the 307,058 users two years ago.

The CityCycle scheme has been criticised, because of costs and maintenance issues since it was wheeled out in 2010.

A picture submitted to The Courier-Mail showing two men overlooking a pair of the city's bikes stuck in mangrove mud highlighted some of the issues the council has faced with the scheme.

The council said there had been no missing bikes in the past week, so, presumably the bogged bikes had been recovered.

Public and Active Transport chairman Adrian Schrinner said CityCycle was continuing to grow in popularity.

"There have been more than 1.9 million trips since CityCycle began and during July there was a monthly record of 57,256 trips taken around the inner city," Cr Schrinner said.

"CityCycle provides a clean, green and sustainable transport alternative to tackle inner city traffic congestion and boosts lifestyle and leisure opportunities for residents and visitors.

"The number of CityCycle users grew by 35 per cent last financial year to 522,388 trips which is 70 per cent higher than the 307,058 recorded two years ago.

"In the last week of July we had a weekly record of 14,461 trips and as patronage numbers continue to grow we expect to reach CityCycle's 2 millionth trip later this month.

"The warmer than usual winter weather is also helping boost patronage as locals and visitors use CityCycle to enjoy our liveable city."

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane's CityCycle scheme gains momentum

The future of Brisbane's seven-year-old CityCycle scheme seems a little brighter than its rocky start, with usage numbers up 70 per cent over the past two years.

What started as a pricey bike-share scheme in October, 2010, has evolved into a much more economical and user friendly system.

n 2015, as CityCycle celebrated 1 million trips, the scheme was also revealed to have cost ratepayers more than $8 million.

On Wednesday, public and active transport chairman Adrian Schrinner said CityCycle had a record 57,526 trips in August and was about to hit two million trips.

"It's really geared up in recent years," he said.

"Since 2010, CityCycle users have travelled around the globe 187 times, burned 150 million calories and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1.44 million kilograms in their two million trips."

Cr Schrinner put the recent success down to changes in memberships to make it more affordable, technology improvements and the expanding reach of the city's bikeways.

"A lot of people that are using CityCycle are people that may not have ridden a bike for a while and may have ridden it as a child and now are getting an opportunity, if they don't own a bike, to get on a bike and explore Brisbane," he said.

"Some of the biggest hot spots with the scheme are in our greatest natural assets and tourist attractions like the Botanic Gardens and Brisbane River."

Bicycle Queensland chief executive Ben Wilson said he expected CityCycle usage to double in the next year, and then double again after that.

"Brisbane went out on a limb as the first city in Australia to do a CityCycle, now it's going to bring home the bacon," he said.

"It just makes so much sense to grab a bike and use it, so really commendation to council for being brave in Australia and providing this facility first up."

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/brisbanecityqld/status/896997335296876544