C'mon and take a free ride
By Sandy Bauers
Philly.com Green Space, August 17, 2010
Getting around any large city is problematic, to be sure. Is it walkable? Is public transportation adequate? If we all switched to tiny cars, would things get better?
Increasingly, good old bicycles are being seen as an important part of the overall transportation equation. And not just personal bicycles, but shared bicycles, so folks can grab one at one location, ride it to another location, and then leave it for someone else to ride someplace else.
Next week, Bike Share Philadelphia -- a group proposing just that -- is sponsoring demonstrations at three locations. The group will be showing the same bike-sharing equipment currently being used in Denver and in this summer's Chicago pilot program.
Russell Meddin, founding member of Bike Share Philadelphia, says, "Philadelphia is the perfect city for bike sharing. The geography, the density of the population, a large student body, the need for mobility and the existing public transit infrastructure all make it the ideal choice for a bike-sharing system."
Here's how the group says it would work in Philadelphia: In Philadelphia, bicycles would be placed in secure stations throughout the city. To use these bikes, individuals would sign up online in advance, or at a station kiosk. For a nominal access fee, either on a daily, weekly or yearly basis the bikes are available for the first 30 minutes of use at no extra charge. There would be a small fee for each additional ½ hour. The bikes could be returned to any station in the city, making it true point-to-point transportation. With stations located no more than about three blocks from each other, bike sharing gives new meaning to convenience.
Here are the dates and locations:
* Thursday, Aug. 26, at 36th & Walnut Streets, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in front of the Penn Bookstore in University City in cooperation with the University of Pennsylvania.
* Friday, Aug. 27, at Love Park (JFK Plaza) - 15th & JFK Blvd, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in cooperation with the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities.
* Saturday, Aug. 28, at Penn's Landing on the Walnut Plaza, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in cooperation with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation.
Increasingly, good old bicycles are being seen as an important part of the overall transportation equation. And not just personal bicycles, but shared bicycles, so folks can grab one at one location, ride it to another location, and then leave it for someone else to ride someplace else.
Next week, Bike Share Philadelphia -- a group proposing just that -- is sponsoring demonstrations at three locations. The group will be showing the same bike-sharing equipment currently being used in Denver and in this summer's Chicago pilot program.
Russell Meddin, founding member of Bike Share Philadelphia, says, "Philadelphia is the perfect city for bike sharing. The geography, the density of the population, a large student body, the need for mobility and the existing public transit infrastructure all make it the ideal choice for a bike-sharing system."
Here's how the group says it would work in Philadelphia: In Philadelphia, bicycles would be placed in secure stations throughout the city. To use these bikes, individuals would sign up online in advance, or at a station kiosk. For a nominal access fee, either on a daily, weekly or yearly basis the bikes are available for the first 30 minutes of use at no extra charge. There would be a small fee for each additional ½ hour. The bikes could be returned to any station in the city, making it true point-to-point transportation. With stations located no more than about three blocks from each other, bike sharing gives new meaning to convenience.
Here are the dates and locations:
* Thursday, Aug. 26, at 36th & Walnut Streets, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in front of the Penn Bookstore in University City in cooperation with the University of Pennsylvania.
* Friday, Aug. 27, at Love Park (JFK Plaza) - 15th & JFK Blvd, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in cooperation with the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities.
* Saturday, Aug. 28, at Penn's Landing on the Walnut Plaza, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in cooperation with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation.