This Sunday in Golden Gate Park, City Car Share and the SFMTA are hosting a demonstration of a potential bicycle sharing system for San Francisco residents.
The event is being co-hosted with Bixi, Montreal’s popular bike-sharing system. Bixi riders can purchase memberships or pay as they go to rent bicycles from 300 stations throughout the city. Pick up a bike at one location, drop it off at another, 24 hours a day. There are currently 3,000 bicycles in the Montreal Bixi system.
In Montreal, Bixi fees include a base bike rental fee (either an annual or monthly subscription or pay $5 for the day) plus incremental usage fees based on 30 minute periods. More info on Bixi Montreal pricing here
At Sunday’s event, you can test ride the bikes and learn more about this new mode of urban transportation that City Car Share is considering for San Francisco.
Through this event, City CarShare hopes to encourage awareness and spur conversation about a bike sharing network in San Francisco. They will also be surveying participants at the event for feedback.
The demonstration will be held at the City CarShare tent in Golden Gate Park just inside the car-free Sunday road closure on JFK Drive at Conservatory Drive. Drop by between 10am and 3:30pm to take a bike for a spin.
What do you all think? Does a system like this have potential for San Francisco? How would you use it if at all?
Sarah B.
The video below explains how the Bixi Montreal bike rental works:
[Thanks to Streetsblog for the tip]
This is a great idea. The bike share system has worked in Paris for some time, as well. I particularly like it because I could use it without worrying about carrying a heavy duty lock for one of my own rather pricey bikes. And it’s great for those who can’t afford a bike or have no place to store one at home. I’m bummed I missed the test ride event, but I hope this happens for San Francisco!
I stopped by the event yesterday and took one of the bikes for a spin. They were nice -heavy (but not too heavy) and solidly built. Nice upright ride. I asked them about an electric/hybrid bike and he would neither confirm or deny ;). Wouldn’t that be nice to get up these hills!?
I agree – a system like this would be great for the city. That said, it’s a tad pricey so I’d like to see something like an all-you-can-bike plan that doesn’t nickel and dime you for hour + usage. As it stands now, keeping a bike for say, 4 hours, would run you about $15 ($5 plus the incremental fee every 30 min. after the first free 30 min).
Nonetheless, definite possibilities and a step in the right direction. If Paris and Montreal can make it work, why not us?