Bringing Bike Sharing to Phoenix
Our solution addresses the rising concerns of traffic, pollution, and health in the city of Phoenix. By implementing a bike share system, we can reduce the number of cars on the road, which decreases traffic and pollution, and increase physical activity and general health of Phoenix citizens. Using the system, users can check out a bike from kiosks placed at convenient locations throughout the city. The bike can then be ridden to other kiosks at other destinations, where it is checked back in. Target locations for bike rental kiosks include restaurants, museums, places of business, and large residential complexes. The bikes use GPS tracking and unique frame design to deter theft. Users have the option of purchasing a day pass or an annual membership. In order for the system to be successful, kiosks at many locations are needed to ensure availability and usability for riders.
Send us an email at RideAndBikeAZ@gmail.com
That is a really good idea. I've seen this implemented in such cites as Paris, and Barcelona;and it seems to work very well in those cites. However, something you should consider is that the reason it works so well in those cities is the climate of the city year round. As you know Arizona is infamous for its blistering summers with sustained temperatures of over 100 Degrees for several months. During this time it is actually dangerous to be out in the sun for prolonged periods of time much less be riding a bike in the heat of the day. Not to mention the city is not designed to handle massive amounts of bikes on the road. New bike infrastructure would need to be built/improved throughout the city. I think it is a really good idea and it has been proven to work. I just don't know how effective it would be in Phoenix simply due to the climate.
Hi Andrew, thanks for your comment. I'm the leader of Team Ride & Bike and I just wanted to address some of your concerns. The climate in Phoenix is certainly something to take into account in this project. However, the pricing system in most bike shares works in a way that encourages users to use the bikes for not more than half an hour at a time. While even a half hour in the daytime during the summer is not going to be very workable, morning and evening times may be less strenuous and usable for 30 minutes. Morning and evening are the times when commuters are likely to be using the system, so we expect to see some business in the summer, though recreational use will almost certainly be higher in the non-summer months. Additionally, we have been researching other bike share systems and have found that the system in Minneapolis has been very successful, despite their intense winter conditions, which is somewhat of an inverse of our situation.
With regards to the bike traffic infrastructure in Phoenix, we would be rolling out the system in a smaller scale initially - likely 25 kiosk locations, instead of the 1400+ kiosks in Paris or the 500 planned kiosks in Chicago. We plan on placing these initial kiosks in areas that are already known for being bike-friendly (think Tempe, or the downtown ASU campus area). In this way, we can begin implementing the system while increasing public awareness of bike usership in Phoenix, which will help with bike safety when the system later expands. Additionally, we have been in working closely with Joe Perez, the Bicycle Traffic Coordinator for the City of Phoenix, and Jeremy Stapleton, who chairs the Bicycle Initiative Subcommittee for the Phoenix Environmental Quality Commission, to further account for safety and transportation issues that arise with a bike share.
Great job on the video! This idea is awesome and will provide a much needed service to the campus community!
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