Melbourne Bike Share 29/11/2010

28/8/2010

The Melbourne Bike Share is a great idea for increasing cycling trips in the central City area.  Here's the history:

• During 2007 outdoor advertising company J C Decaux proposed to the City of Melbourne that a bike share scheme similar to the Paris "velib" be introduced.  Councillor Catherine Ng is enthusiastic. 
• 1/1/2008 the Department of Infrastructure releases the "ticketing and fares manual" for Victorian trains which bans bicycles from being carried on suburban and country trains during the morning and evening peak.  Turns out the ban was secretly negotiated between Bicycle Victoria and the State Government.  The minister for transport (Lynne Kosky) was told by her Department that there had been "consultation" with cyclists.  Uproar ensues, minister on the back-foot eventually repeals the ban.  Rare victory for cyclists (most likely because the conflict is with public transport users not with cars?).  Minister announces a package of measures including speed-up of installation of safe bicycle parking and a bike-share scheme for the City.  These measures are designed to reduce the need to carry a bicycle into the City by train. 
• During the tender process JC Decaux pulls out with at least one staff member quoted as citing Melbourne's compulsory helmet laws as being incompatible with a bicycle share scheme.  Must be other factors however since JC Decaux have won the tender in Brisbane.  Perhaps the advertising revenue in Bris-vegas is large enough that Decaux don't care if the bikes ever get used.
• Tender is won by The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) with a fig-leaf from Bicycle Victoria.  They are operating the scheme on behalf of the Victorian Government.  It is not known whether the RACV has any skin in the deal, i.e.  do they lose money if nobody uses the bicycles.  As an aside, note that on 22/7/2010 the RACV issued a press release "demanding the [Albert St] bike lanes be removed", hardly a pro-cycling group the RACV.  As a result of this the City of Melbourne commissioned an independent safety audit of the Albert St lanes.
• 1/6/2010 bike share commences.
  
• On 19/8/2010 Bike Share announces: We're approaching 10,000 rides on Bike Share.  (At time of writing, 28/8 no announcement of this great milestone, so 89 days, less than 10,000 rides = less than 112 rides/per day — from 600 bikes). 
• Comparison with other cities around the world: Dublin "There is NO mandatory helmet law.  We learned that lesson from Australia.  After the introduction of Dublin Bikes, there was some pressure to bring in compulsory helmets, but thankfully common sense prevailed." and "At the moment in Dublin we are getting daily trips of close to 5,000 from our 450 bikes.  "  Note that the Dublin scheme is smaller than Melbourne's.  Finally: "The gardai (police) have confirmed that there have been no serious accidents with the bikes..."