Twitter Roundup from Today’s Bike Share Announcement

February 11, 2015 by Leave a comment

 

There was big announcement made this morning for bike share! The City proudly announced that Independence Blue Cross is the sponsor of Indego, Philadelphia’s bike share system, which is launching this spring. See the official press release here.

Below are some tweets from this morning’s press release at City Hall.

I hope you are excited as we are for the launch of Indego bike share this spring!

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Bike Share Station Planning Report

December 15, 2014 by Leave a comment

2014-December-StationPhasing_corrected

A bike share station planning update report is now available at http://www.phila.gov/bikeshare! (Click the big grey button labeled “Station Survey Report.”)

Earlier in the fall, we collected over 10,500 text-message, online, and paper surveys in response to 95 potential bike share locations. At two all-day Open Houses in November we spoke with over 400 people about the results, and we’re pleased to post the full update online.

The report describes bike share site planning and community outreach efforts and also details site-specific survey findings. The bulk of the report consists of one page snapshots of the feedback we received about each potential location. You’ll also see a map (visible above) showing the general locations that we’ve decided are most promising for Phase 1 of bike share (60+ stations in spring 2015), and those that are likely to appear in future phases, starting in spring 2016.

The map is NOT a final station map. We are continuing to investigate alternative locations using suggestions submitted via surveys and in consultation with community, public, and private partners. We are working to identify additional sites that didn’t appear on the initial map (e.g., near Suburban Station). A final station map will be available in spring 2015.

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Bike Share Open Houses

November 12, 2014 by 2 Comments

OpenHouses_Flyer_final

Maybe you’ve never heard of bike share. Or maybe you are one of the 5,824 people who submitted one of 10,535 online, text, and paper surveys about a potential bike share station between September 17- October 20. Either way, you’re invited to attend MOTU’s Bike Share Open Houses!  Bike share representatives will be on hand to discuss Philadelphia’s future program as well as survey findings. Come stop by! The details:

Open House #1

Date: Tuesday, November 18

Time: 8:15am-6pm

Where: The Gallery at Jefferson Station (formerly Market East), in the Atrium and Food Court (enter from 9th/Market)

Open House #2

Date: Thursday, November 20

Time: 8:15am-6pm

Where: 30th Street Station, west side of main waiting area

Can’t make the Open Houses?  Don’t worry; materials and survey results will be posted online at http://www.phila.gov/bikeshare following the events. You’ll be able to see the breakdown of support for each potential station posted on the map at http://www.phillybikeshare.com.

What’s next for bike share?  Bike share planners are using survey results to guide site visits and are continuing to meet with property owners and community groups to identify good locations for bike share. If you would like to host City reps for a discussion of bike share at your next community meeting, please e-mail  cara.ferrentino@phila.gov and aaron.ritz@phila.gov.

 

 

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Where should bike share stations go?

September 18, 2014 by Leave a comment

english bikeshare poster hi-res

A map of potential bike share station locations is now live for comment via www.phila.gov/bikeshare, and we want to hear from you! We are collecting feedback on almost 100 potential locations and plan to launch with around 60. Your feedback will help us prioritize, relocate, and eliminate locations as we gear up for initial program launch this coming spring.

You can comment not only online, but also via text message. MOTU has partnered with the Mural Arts Program and artist Eurhi Jones to create a bright red vinyl decal marking the locations of potential bike share stations. When you see one, text your thoughts to the number you see. Philly-based tech start-up Textizen is powering our text survey, and the interactive map was created by OpenPlans using their Shareabouts platform.

What does it mean if a station is on the map?

The map represents potential station locations, not definite plans. We identified potential stations based on analysis of factors such as:

  • population density
  • employment, cultural, and recreational destinations
  • transit stops
  • bike lanes
  • a crowd-sourced bike share station map that many of you commented on
  • site visits
  • meetings with property owners and community groups
  • meetings with agency partners, including SEPTA and Parks & Recreation

In most cases, the online map marks locations where we think bike share could make sense and could physically fit (stations are around 6.5′ wide and between 45′-75′ long). In other cases, the map shows an area that we think should be served by bike share, but in which we haven’t found a good spot. Look at the location description online to identify these (hint: the text begins with “HELP!”). Another insider tip: these locations don’t have decals.

What will we do with the feedback?

We will be using community feedback, in conjunction with meetings with property owners, community groups and other partners, to prioritize, relocate, and eliminate stations from the map. The goal is to identify a network of 60 stations that make the most sense for potential users and for system operations.

We will be presenting the findings of this initiative along with resulting recommendations at a series of public meetings later this fall.

Why isn’t bike share in my neighborhood?

The system will initially comprise 60 stations in Center City and parts of North, South, and West Philadelphia. We adopted this phasing plan as the result of last year’s strategic business planning process. Launching with only 60 stations means that we won’t initially be able to reach all areas that might be well served by bike share. We plan to expand the system in spring 2016 with an additional 60 stations, and will be using lessons learned from initial program launch and from the first year of operations.

We look forward to your feedback!

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Twitter Roundup from our Bike Share Announcement Yesterday!

April 25, 2014 by Leave a comment

Yesterday we had a huge bike share announcement! The City of Philadelphia has selected “Bicycle Transit Systems to plan and operate the system, and B-cycle to provide the bicycles, stations, and technology platform” and is looking to roll out in Spring of 2015.  See the official press release here: http://bit.ly/1rrgax8

Below are some tweets from yesterday’s press release in front of the Art Museum —

We can’t wait for Spring 2015!

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MAYOR NUTTER ANNOUNCES TEAM TO DELIVER CITY’S NEW BIKE SHARE SYSTEM

April 25, 2014 by Leave a comment

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City of Philadelphia Seeks Proposals for Bike Share System

October 25, 2013 by

PHL_BikesharePostcard-01

The City of Philadelphia is pleased to offer the opportunity to firms with proven bicycle sharing technology to partner with the City to provide a Bicycle Sharing System for Philadelphia.  Of the ten largest cities in the United States, Philadelphia has the largest proportion of cycle commuters.  Already, more than 10,000 Philadelphians bike to work and thousands more trips occur each day for transportation and recreation. The market opportunity for bicycle sharing in Philadelphia is significant with the City’s flat terrain, mild weather, mix of high density residential, commercial, and educational development, along with a housing stock that leaves many potential cyclists without the room to store a bike.  The proposed service area is home to more than 430,000 residents and more than 400,000 jobs. Philadelphia’s Bicycle Sharing System is perhaps the last high ridership system left to be launched in North America and we invite interested parties to register and download the RFP from the eContracts Philadelphia web portal.

Access the RFP by registering with the eContracts Philadelphia and searching for New Contract Opportunities in the Procurement Department.

IMPORTANT DATES

Pre-Proposal Meeting (Recommended, not Mandatory)

Date: Wednesday, October 30th 2013

Time: 1:30 PM Eastern Standard Time

Location:

Municipal Services Building, Room 1450
1401 JFK Boulevard
Philadelphia PA, 19102

Final Questions Due

Date: Friday, November 1st, 2013

Time: 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Final Proposals Due

Date: Tuesday, November 26th , 2013

Time: 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

QUESTION SUBMISSION

Questions may be submitted at any time and will be answered and posted to eContracts on a regular basis.

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Want to Host or Sponsor a Bike Share Station?

September 26, 2013 by

As many of you know, bike share is coming to Philadelphia!  We will be joining the ranks of Washington, DC, Boston, and New York, among others, as a city that helps to move its residents, commuters, and visitors via bike share.  

Sample bike share bicycles from other cities in Rittenhouse Park as part of a Bike Share Demonstration held earlier this year. Image courtesy of PlanPhilly (http://planphilly.com/eyesonthestreet/2013/05/01/testing-out-bike-share-alternatives). Click for the City of Philadelphia's Bike Share website!

Sample bike share bicycles from other cities in Rittenhouse Park as part of a Bike Share Demonstration held earlier this year. Image courtesy of PlanPhilly (http://planphilly.com/eyesonthestreet/2013/05/01/testing-out-bike-share-alternatives).
Click for the City of Philadelphia’s Bike Share website!

Riding a bike is great, but where do you find one?  Where can you park it after your ride?  Having lots of bike share stations near where you are and where you want to go will make a big portion of the success of Philadelphia’s system.  In the busiest stations in our peer cities, hundreds of trips per hour are taken from the top bike sharing stations.  Imagine how great it would be to hop off of your bike share bike and be right next to work, or school, or groceries or really anything at all.

We are asking interested property owners, institutions, and businesses to submit an Expression of Interest if they are interested in hosting or sponsoring a bike share station.  This will help the City as we select a company to plan and install our bike sharing system.  Interested in having a station at your place?  Let us know!  The expression of interest is not a commitment, but it lets us know that you want to be part of the conversation as we plan out this new, fun and healthy transportation system.  Note, Expressions of Interest are due by October 7, 2013.  

Please send all Expressions of Interest to:

Aaron Ritz
Bicycle & Pedestrian Programs Planner
Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities
1401 JFK Blvd, Suite 1430, 19102
ph 215-686-9000
aaron.ritz@phila.gov

Email submissions are preferred.

 

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Philadelphia’s Bike Share Strategic Business Plan is Here

August 23, 2013 by

We’re thrilled to be announcing another major step toward launching bike sharing in Philadelphia by 2014! Yesterday, Mayor Nutter and Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Utilities Rina Cutler unveiled the Philadelphia Bike Share Strategic Business Plan, laying out the detailed ground work for how to successfully get a bike share system rolled out and running.

The full plan is available at the City’s official bike share website. According to the Plan, Philadelphia will be able to support a system of 150 to 200 stations with 1,500 to 2,000 bikes, stretching from the Delaware River into West Philadelphia and from Temple University through Center City to the Navy Yard. The program is expected to have a capital cost of between $10-15 million, $3 million of which has been committed through the City’s capital budget. The rest of the funding will be raised from grants and sponsorships, and after the launch, the system is not anticipated to need any public operating subsidy.

BikeShareProbablePhasing

Two-phase bike share roll-out recommended by the Business Plan

The plan calls for a two-phase roll-out of bike sharing, with a first phase opening in 2014 centered on areas with high employment density. A second phase in 2015 will expand the reach of the system in all directions. The Strategic Business Plan was based on an earlier feasibility study that identified where bike sharing would provide the most use to the most people.  This analysis was based on many factors, including residential and job density as well as travel patterns and locations of existing bicycling and transit infrastructure.  This method has been employed during the design of many of the other successful bike sharing systems around the U.S.

With the business plan in place, yesterday’s announcement also begins the process of identifying potential station locations. The City’s bikeshare site links to an interactive map that lets anyone suggest and vote on dock locations.  Additionally, the City issued a Request for Expressions of Interest from property owners, businesses, and institutions in Philadelphia wanting to host and/or sponsor bike share station locations.  Expressions of interest will help the City understand exactly where demand for bike sharing is and will help us as we move forward with detailed system planning (we’ll have more on this next week).

Going forward, the City will be looking issue a Request for Proposals this Fall seeking an operator to run and manage the bike share system.

Find the full plan, the press release, and the Request for Expressions of Interest at the City’s official bike-share website: http://www.phila.gov/bikeshare

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Did someone say Bike Share?

April 24, 2013 by

Tuesday will provide Philadelphian’s a plethora of opportunities to learn about Bikeshare systems, examine the equipment and learn about how systems work in cities such as Denver, DC and Boston.

Bike Share Demonstration

  • What: See bike sharing in person, meet the professionals who make it happen
  • Where: Northeast Corner of Rittenhouse Square, at 18th St & Walnut St 
  • When: 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM on Tuesday, April 30th

Next Tuesday, April 30th, The Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation will host some of the nation’s leading vendors of bike share equipment in Rittenhouse Square. Between 10:00 AM and 6:30 PM you can try out the bike sharing equipment that is operating in cities across the country. The professionals who have installed bike sharing systems in such cities as Boston, Denver, Miami Beach, Washington DC, Charlotte and others will be on hand to share their experiences.

Bike Share Forum

  • What: Hear and see presentations from the architects of the nation’s best bike sharing systems
  • Where: Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
  • When: 6:30 PM on Tuesday, April 30th

Later you can learn more about bike sharing join the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University at 6:30 PM the same evening for a Bike Share Forum. We will hear presentations from the architects of some of the nation’s best bike sharing systems. The forum will conclude with a brief presentation on the City of Philadelphia’s plans to launch a first-class bike sharing system by the end of 2014.

Register for the Bike Share Forum here: http://phillybikeshareforum.eventbrite.com/

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