Is St. Louis Ready for a Bike Share System? May 14, 2014 Public Open House
PRESENTATION AGENDA 2 BIKE SHARE How does it work? What are the benefits? Who would use it? Will it be safe? Would it work in St. Louis? How much would it cost? Next Steps
How does bike share work? 3 Only accessible to MEMBERS: annual via the web site or short term (24 hour, weekly etc.) via the kiosk Subsidized memberships for lowincome and/or the unbanked All members accounts are connected to a credit card account Bikes available for a free period usually 30 minutes or additional fee Short, one way trips from station A to station B, parked/locked into any dock in the system Madison WI B-cycle
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? 4 Montreal s Bixi bike share station
Bike share s benefits for St. Louis Improved individual and community health thru active transportation Economic development (green jobs, improved access to businesses and helping to brand the city) Reduced vehicle emissions (5 25% of users substitute bike share for car/taxi trips) Contributes to the safety in numbers effect for all bicyclists New Balance Hubway, Boston Supplements the transit system 5
Compatibility with transit Bike share helps transit Bike share can extend the reach of current Metro service, filling in the last mile between train/bus and work/home Potential combo pass is in development phase Transit helps bike share Bike racks on buses can help riders overcome hills and travel longer distances 6 Together, they help to form a transportation hub
WHO USES BIKE SHARE? 7 New York s Citibike has proven popular with both residents and tourists
Existing systems in North America * 8 ** * * * 2014 Launch Coming Soon? * * ** * * * * * * Some of the 30 station-based bike share systems in North America
Comparable system: Denver B-cycle April to December operations B Cycle Equipment (bikes, docking stations and kiosks) 2010 Launch: 50 stations / 500 bikes (current: 58 stations) Reported: 2 bikes stolen/missing in first year Mix of hard wired and solar powered stations Public and private funding First year: >100,000 rides First year: 1,800 annual members 9
Comparable system: Columbus OH CoGo Year round operations PBSC (Bixi) Equipment (bikes, docking stations and kiosks) 2013 launch: 30 stations / 300 bikes (current: 132 stations / 1300 bikes) 100% public funding through City s capital budget ($2.3m) After 1full season: >31,000 rides After 1full season: over 800 annual members and 6000 casual (24 hr.) members 10
Likely St. Louis User Profiles Local residents looking to fulfill trips too long to walk ¬ convenient to drive/take transit for various reasons Business District commuters needing to do lunch hour errands People who don t own a car or bike looking for a supplement to transit College students needing a ride within or beyond campus Visitors and tourists accessing St. Louis s various destinations 11
12 Local Resident Grabbing Coffee or Going to Work Downtown
13 Business District Commuter Grabbing Lunch
14 Someone Without Access to a Car Going to Work
15 College Student Meeting Friends
16 Visitors and Tourists Going from the Arch to the City Museum
WILL IT BE SAFE? 17 Though not required, many cities promote helmet use for bike share
Bicycle design is key Only 3-5 speeds, geared low Heavy bike (40-45 lbs) = slower speeds Upright position w/ good visibility 18 Wide and punctureproof tires Disc brakes for allweather stopping Built-in lights and generator
19 Bike share users ride slowly
Bike share safety strategies Potential strategies include: Bike safety and rules of the road info on web, on bikes and at station kiosks 20
Bike share safety strategies Potential strategies include: Bike safety and rules of the road info on web, on bikes and at station kiosks Helmet giveaways at events Inexpensive helmets available at grocery stores, pharmacies and bike shops (shown on system map in Boston) Bike safety workshops Helmet vending machines 21
Bike share safety data Hubway (Boston) 1.8 million trips with 0 fatalities and <20 significant injuries Capital Bikeshare (Washington DC) 6.7 million trips with 0 fatalities and <40 significant injuries Divvy (Chicago) 1.1 million trips with 0 fatalities and <10 significant injuries Citibike (New York City) 8.2 million trips with 0 fatalities and <40 significant injuries North America (ALL cities combined) >20 million trips with only 1 fatality 22
WOULD IT WORK IN ST. LOUIS? 23 The Central Library could be an ideal location for a bike share station
Program Goals Potential Goals as a gauge for a successful bike share system: Supplement the transit system Improve public health Serve visitors and tourists Increase visibility of bicycling Generate revenue Reduce traffic and pollution Promote economic development 24
Qualitative factors for a successful bike share system Comparing St. Louis to successful systems in the US (max. 4 stars) demographic factors hi density employment zones hi density housing areas existing bike facilities planned bike facilities weather & topography existing bike mode share existing bike culture tourist attractions robust transit system difficulty of auto access/parking 25 St. Louis Denver Chicago
Quantitative Map Inputs 26 DEMAND MAP (where people live, work, play, eat and take transit) Residential density Employment density Business Districts Visitor destinations MetroLink stations and bus hubs Existing bikeways, trails and parks EQUITY MAP (ensuring consideration of historically underserved populations) Areas with aggregate lowincomes English as a Second Language (ESL) Households Transit dependence Levels of car ownership Lack of greenspace and/or food deserts
Station placement strategy Demand Map Equity Map 27 Crowdsource site Cincinnati system map recommendations
Station Siting Criteria Highly visible from street Pedestrian accessible Proximate to destinations (key transit stops, tourist sites, schools, libraries, retail/ nightlife areas) Sidewalk Stations 28 Sensitive to Historic Districts Along key bicycle routes Good solar exposure Some buffer from vehicle traffic (bike lane is ideal) On-Street Stations
What would a station look like in St. Louis? On-Street station on Locus St. 29 Sidewalk station on Delmar Blvd.
HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST? 30 Installation of some bike share systems requires a small crane
User and System Costs Typical User Costs: $50 100 for annual membership (some cities provide discounts for low income residents) $5 10 for one day pass 0 30 or 45 minutes: free 30 90 minutes: $2 4; >90 minutes: $6 and up Typical System Costs (for Station based, Wireless, Solar Powered System): $4,500 5,500 per bike (includes docks, kiosks, stations, etc) $2,000 2,500 per bike/year maintenance 31 $1,000 per bike/year launch and marketing costs
Funding options and costs Capital Costs, supported by: Federal grants and direct appropriations City/state funding Advertising revenue and sponsorship Private, corporate and institutional donations Mix of funding sources: existing systems range from 100% private (Miami, NYC), 16% from public funding (Denver) to 100% public funding (Washington DC and Columbus OH) More typical split is roughly 3:1 2:1 public/private dollars Operational Costs, supported by: Corporate/institutional sponsorship Advertising revenue 32 Annual memberships, walk up rentals and usage fees
NEXT STEPS 33 Bike Share could be a big draw to Downtown St. Louis
Bike Share Study Schedule 34 Study Kick Off and Stakeholder Meetings: March 2014 Web site launched (map exercise and survey): April Public Meetings: May 14 15 Feasibility Study: April May System Planning: June July Business Planning: July September Public Meetings: September Site Planning: September October Final Report: by end of December 2014 Fundraising & Potential Implementation: 2015 2017
THANK YOU! www.stlbikeshare.org May 14, 2014 Public Open House