[*BCM*] boston's bike sharing program (BIXI)
jb fentner
symboliceon at hotmail.com
Sun Aug 16 02:56:46 EDT 2009
I'm not sure if it's inspiring or annoying when I refuse to not ride no matter what the conditions are. I still think more of us should do it just to make a few folks aware of the fact that biking isn't just for when it's nice out.
From: leepeters at gis.net
To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 10:02:13 -0400
Subject: Re: [*BCM*] boston's bike sharing program (BIXI)
All,
Wondering how this may be VERY useful for
bicycle owners? Well, many don't like to ride in the rain because it can
ruin clothing. Imagine those mornings when it is pouring outside and you
have to take the mbta; leaving the bike at home. When it is time to
go back home 12 hours later, the weather is likely to have changed for the
better. Instead of taking the T back, just borrow a public bicycle and get
yourself back to that T stop near home.
This is encouraging.
(ps all you bikers who ride in the rain, good - but
don't bother telling us how good you are - we already know)
----- Original Message -----
From:
Peter
To: Boston Critical Mass
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2009 9:40
AM
Subject: Re: [*BCM*] boston's bike
sharing program (BIXI)
For anyone that has not yet had enough:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2009/04/12/is_boston_ready_for_a_revolution/?page=1
An
article on "Velib", the Paris version. From pg 4: I ask
Valeau his advice for Boston. "The first key is the density of the
network," he says. "It must cover the whole city, not just the city
center, with a station every 250 meters. The second key is you must have
good prices -- very, very cheap. The third key is the promotion of the
service -- the city must be very politically involved and committed to
its success. The fourth key is the quality of the bicycles and the
station equipment. They will be used 10 times a day by different
customers: novice, expert, fat, very slim, tall, and short. Last but
perhaps most important is the quality of service and
repair."
Something is better than
nothing but none of the press releases give any indication that any of
these conditions for sucess will be present. I ride my own so
would not be a user but, again, more bikes is
better.
--- On Sat, 8/15/09, Anne Wolfe
<goannego at gmail.com> wrote:
From:
Anne Wolfe <goannego at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [*BCM*] boston's
bike sharing program (BIXI)
To: "Boston Critical Mass"
<list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
Date: Saturday, August 15,
2009, 3:20 AM
It is a tough call. Do you want a biking
program at all or one that isn't sponsored by companies you dislike
(which unfortunately for us as a society are the ones most likely to
have the money?) You say you'd prefer a biking program that
doesn't have the sponsorship, but there still to be a biking program,
and it runs into the age old "who's going to pay for it?" issue.
And no one ever wants it to come out of their pocket. As much as
I'm opposed to the war in Iraq, I don' t have the power to go back and
re-allocate that money.
All things being considered, I'm
glad we have a biking program coming in. If you don't like who
pays for it, then protest, but if your protest means that people don't
bike and instead use cars, you've got to live with that as well.
So what are you going to do???
2009/8/15 Jym Dyer <jym at econet.org>
>
It is good for tourist use, but I think it also could be
>
good for short pre/post subway trips.
=v= The name "BIXI" is
a combination of bicycle + taxi, and
they're trying to market it
as an alternative to the kind
of trip you might otherwise take in
a taxi.
=v= In addition to Montreal, bike-sharing schemes
have been
a success in many European locations, presumably
replacing
many motorized vehicle trips. The first such
system in this
country is Washington D.C.'s "SmartBike" (which is
run by
Clear Channel), but I think it's too soon to tell how
well
it's working there yet.
> The thing that worries
me the most about this not working,
> is just the brutal,
fuck-everyone vandalism impulse. People
> can be
dicks.
=v= J.C. Decaux, who operates the Paris bike-share,
reported
a very high rate of vandalism and theft, but it turned
out
that they were overstating things because they wanted the
city
to pay them more money than agreed upon. There are
also some
people in Barcelona who believe the city government is
taking
away free bike parking and other amenities for bicyclists
to
make room for their bike share, so they've done some
vandalism
in the form of protest graffiti.
=v= My main
issue with BIXI is with one of their sponsors. The
aluminum
for the bikes' frames comes from the mining company Rio
Tinto,
whose company logo is emblazoned right on the handlebars
so you
can stare at it the entire time you're riding the bike.
Frame
material product placement is very unusual, but I suppose
Rio
Tinto needs some heavy-duty greenwash. They do
everything
from stripmining to rainforest destruction to pushing
for
increased proliferation of nuclear power. Greenpeace
has had
to put pressure on them for years.
I
guess they'd rather be associated with biking, at least
in the
public mind.
=v= For once I'd like a bike-sharing program
that isn't
sponsored by a destructive company. J.C. Decaux
is notorious
for their intrusions on liveable space. Clear
Channel promotes
oil wars and has morning drive-time DJs who like
to joke about
hurting and killing bicyclists.
<_Jym_>
_______________________________________________
Boston
Critical Mass mailing list
list at bostoncriticalmass.org
http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
To
unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
--
Anne M. Wolfe, LL.M.
Mobile: ( 07805)
456901
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. - Garrison
Keillor
-----Inline Attachment Follows-----
_______________________________________________
Boston
Critical Mass mailing list
list at bostoncriticalmass.org
http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
To unsubscribe
email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
_______________________________________________
Boston Critical Mass
mailing
list
list at bostoncriticalmass.org
http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
To
unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG -
www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.392 / Virus Database: 270.13.58/2304 - Release
Date: 08/15/09 06:10:00
_________________________________________________________________
With Windows Live, you can organize, edit, and share your photos.
http://www.windowslive.com/Desktop/PhotoGallery
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.bostoncoop.net/pipermail/bostoncriticalmass/attachments/20090816/32a367e6/attachment.htm
More information about the Bostoncriticalmass
mailing list