Bike share program coming to downtown areas of Oklahoma City
BY STEVE LACKMEYER slackmeyer@opubco.com
Published: August 3, 2011

Such programs have “stations” where bicycles are checked in and out with a deposit placed on one's credit card. A nominal charge is sometimes paid for use of the bicycles; final details of the downtown arrangements are pending negotiation of a vendor contract.

Jennifer Gooden, director of the city's sustainability office, hopes to start a pilot program with four locations this fall, with a full program launch next spring. She is still meeting with vendors, though she envisions the program will ultimately include about 90 bicycles.

“It will all be in the central city — Automobile Alley, Bricktown, downtown, and it could go up into the medical business district,” Gooden said.


Read more: Bike share program coming to downtown areas of Oklahoma City | News OK (http://newsok.com/bike-share-program-coming-to-downtown-areas-of-oklahoma-city/article/3591190#ixzz1Tz9YjTKO)

I've been wondering the status of this, was supposed to launch last year, thanks for the update!

It looks as though a request to solicit interested operators for the operation of the program is slated for the council agenda tomorrow.

Any idea why eh are more than a year behind schedule?

I would guess that it is because Autumn (the sustainability director) got married and moved. They had to hire a new person. Obviously, the time it took for the HR process and the new person to get "up to speed on their own" could easily take a year.

Which I hear is the same reason the idea of a Goodwill recycling center on Hudson Avenue imploded. Not sure Autumn left the city with her tasks done as well as some might have hoped.

Which I hear is the same reason the idea of a Goodwill recycling center on Hudson Avenue imploded.

Not to mention that it had strong organized opposition at the ready by Rick Dowell and Leonard Sullivan who very much did not want it in the neighborhood.

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-to-launch-shared-bike-program-downtown/article/3639253

Awesome and the tentative station locations seem well placed save one glaring exception - Automobile Alley.

Well it says a station close to the memorial, which if on the east side of it, is right next to auto alley

It's a good hike from the memorial to most the businesses in AA.

Make no sense why they'd exclude this burgeoning area. Would love to know why.

Maybe they are thinking like some others do and mean to include Automobile Alley when they say Midtown.

This program will be a new culprit addition to spreading deadly, fatal, infectious bacterias. The handles on those bikes will be shared with hundreds of sweating hands. Lets hope the city will provide sanitary wipes at every station. If you don't see one, don't even think a second on taking a chance.

This program will be a new culprit addition to spreading deadly, fatal, infectious bacterias. The handles on those bikes will be shared with hundreds of sweating hands. Lets hope the city will provide sanitary wipes at every station. If you don't see one, don't even think a second on taking a chance.

No more than opening a door, pushing a elevator button, moving a chair, etc;

No more than opening a door, pushing a elevator button, moving a chair, etc;

I know, right, but these are bikes where the risk will be elevated due to people sweating from peddling.

This program will be a new culprit addition to spreading deadly, fatal, infectious bacterias. The handles on those bikes will be shared with hundreds of sweating hands. Lets hope the city will provide sanitary wipes at every station. If you don't see one, don't even think a second on taking a chance.

I'm not sure what you do on the handle bars of your bike, but I think we'll be just fine.

I bet a lot of people who ride regularly (or will ride regularly) will wear gloves to prevent getting the hands dirty anyway. Nothing like wiping that crumb off of your white business shirt with black grime from the mix of your sweat and the rubber on the handlebars. I think everything will be fine.

This is fantastic, but I am curious what the price tag is these days for a fledgling bikeshare program, which is what I consider 6 stations and 95 bikes.

This is fantastic, but I am curious what the price tag is these days for a fledgling bikeshare program, which is what I consider 6 stations and 95 bikes.

Last I checked this was a grant. Anyhow OKC needs more bicycle activity in the core

Except on high humidity days I don't think there will be a lot sweating taking place anyhow. I now ride as part of my daily routine and I rarely ever come close to breaking a sweat.

I for one am excited about this program. I don't live or work downtown. But I can see a few evening bike rides this spring/summer to see the city from a different vantage point.

I for one am excited about this program. I don't live or work downtown. But I can see a few evening bike rides this spring/summer to see the city from a different vantage point.

If you have not ridden a bicycle for years you will be surprised how much ground you can cover in very little time, even at a leisurely pace. Most people should be able to go from the Memorial to the Arena in about 2 minutes (barring traffic lights).

Last I checked this was a grant. Anyhow OKC needs more bicycle activity in the core

Yes, it was a grant, but for how much? lol

Yes, it was a grant, but for how much? lol

from tomorrows council meeting .. is the resolution for the purchase of the pike rental systems (the city already has the bikes)

Estimated Cost $315,000
Source of Funds $182,239
Grants Management – Department of Energy – EECBG From DOE- DEEE0000920-
REELP (019-6810-0409772-G96004-G4050)

182 of the 315 is the grant

Also from the council agenda you can see they will be entering into an agreement with Sandvault for six of their Cyclestation kiosks, although exact locations have yet to be determined:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/bikeshare.jpg

Except on high humidity days I don't think there will be a lot sweating taking place anyhow. I now ride as part of my daily routine and I rarely ever come close to breaking a sweat.

Really depends on the person. I ride to work most of the time and usually break a bit of a sweat, even when it's below freezing. I will say I was drenched this last summer, but I think that applies for anyone who was outside for more than 10 minutes.

Thanks Pete for posting. Their promo pic is funny, the bike the guy is on isn't even the same bike they are offering to rent in the picture.

from tomorrows council meeting .. is the resolution for the purchase of the pike rental systems (the city already has the bikes)

Estimated Cost $315,000
Source of Funds $182,239
Grants Management – Department of Energy – EECBG From DOE- DEEE0000920-
REELP (019-6810-0409772-G96004-G4050)

182 of the 315 is the grant

Definitely more expensive than I would have thought. Just for the rental systems? Does this include the bid for the operating agreement with Sandvault? It's definitely not approaching what I think is a "limit," but still discouraging that simple improvements like this require significant public backing..

Definitely more expensive than I would have thought. Just for the rental systems?

I wonder what the liability insurance cost.

My wife and I can't wait to give this a try. Wish they'd put one near the downtown YMCA. We'd love to finish a workout and then peddle to Coffee Slingers or just around the block a few times without having to haul our bikes on the car to downtown.

Definitely more expensive than I would have thought. Just for the rental systems? Does this include the bid for the operating agreement with Sandvault? It's definitely not approaching what I think is a "limit," but still discouraging that simple improvements like this require significant public backing..

no operating agreement ..

i think that is an RFP is that going out

My wife and I can't wait to give this a try. Wish they'd put one near the downtown YMCA. We'd love to finish a workout and then peddle to Coffee Slingers or just around the block a few times without having to haul our bikes on the car to downtown.

I agree.

no operating agreement ..

i think that is an RFP is that going out

Anyone know where you can view city RFP's?

Looks like the first bike rental locations have been set. Strange omission of Automobile Alley.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/bikes.jpg


300 Park Ave: install bike share station of double-sided rack to accommodate 32 bike slots east of the main library entrance, approximately 57 feet from the south curb of Park Ave.; install bike share station of single-sided rack to accommodate 24 bike slots approximately 6 feet from curb on south side of Park Ave.
1 Myriad Gardens: install bike share station of double-sided rack to accommodate 16 bike slots at SE corner of W Sheridan Ave and W Reno Ave (I believe they meant Sheridan & Robinson, not Reno)
620 N Harvey Ave: install bike share station of double sided rack to accommodate 16 bike slots on the south side of NW 6th St adjacent to the west side of the Journal Record Building
301 N Walnut: install bike share station of two single sided racks to accommodate 8 slots per rack on east and west sides of sidewalk along N Walnut Ave at southeast corner of N Walnut and NE 2nd St
1100 N Classen Dr: install bike share station of one single-sided rack to accommodate 16 bike slots on the west side of N Walker Ave adjacent to the east side of the Plaza Court Building

Looks like the first bike rental locations have been set. Strange omission of Automobile Alley.


Maybe they figue AA as a destination and not a point of origin.

This is a coup. For them to not orient the rack locations to the streetcar route shows you what is thought about the streetcar among the people calling the shots behind Downtown OKC Inc.

Notice the Bikeshare rack location in front of Devon, then further up Hudson. Devon might not be an odd choice, but THAT side of the Memorial certainly is. Just by switching over to the more iconic side of the Memorial, the rack location would align better with the streetcar.

Don't 1 and 2 seem awful close to each other? The overwhelming majority of bikes will be on Park Avenue, and only 16 serving a residential area in downtown? Bricktown?

The streetcar is still several years away and I am not sure anyone knows how 'set in stone' the current route is - especially considering the recent news around the bridges at Sheriden and Reno and built in ridership in Deep Deuce and East Bricktown. I am sure moving bike locations will be super easy when and if it becomes necessary.

The pricing:

Memberships
• 1 year: $75.00
• 1 month: $20.00
• 1 day: $5.00

Each membership comes with free, unlimited 30-minute rides. Fee for
each additional half-hour is $2.00.

Hours of operation: 6 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., 7 days per week; bicycles can
be returned 24 hours a day.
• Maximum charge per day: $75.00
• Charge for failure to return bicycle within 48 hours of check-out:
$500.00

Special promotions, corporate memberships of 10 or more people, and
group memberships of 10 or more people are eligible for a discounted rate
up to 25%.

I can understand monthly and yearly memberships of unlimited half-hour rides. However, why not just do hourly rates for 1 day use? I mean how many people are going to take multiple 30 minute or less rides in one day if they are visiting?

If someone gets on a bike at the Memorial to ride over to Bricktown to have lunch, they're going to have to have it for over 30 minutes (I assume most would just lock it up wherever they're going because they wouldn't necessarily know that there's a station in Deep Deuce) That's at least $7 to ride a bike a couple of blocks. It just seems like the time constraints will limit this to a sightseeing venture.

Maybe the intent is to be an intermediate pedestrian circulator, how the streetcar is a long distance pedestrian circulator? I just think there needs to be really good maps showing where pick-up/drop-off locations are.

I think they expect someone to ride it from station 2 to station 3 where they will check it back in. After spending an hour our so they will check it out at station 2 where they will bike over to station 4 and check it back in, and so on. With a $500 fee for losing the bike I wouldn't be chaining it up just any where.

This doesn't seem very well-planned.

This doesn't seem very well-planned.

Why do you say that? Do you have any information about how other cities do it that would be an improvement?

I'm not familiar with these types of rentals at all. So, what happens if I'm here visiting with my small group/family of say 4-6 of us and we think it will be great to rent some bikes and ride from point A to B, for some shopping, eating, whatever, and when we get there, there are not enough open spots to check the bikes in? I assume if we lock them up to a pole and go do our thing and then ride them back to where we rented them (or maybe some spots open up) it could realistically be 2.5 hours with travel time. That would be $13/ea? Ouch.

I think I'd stick to the trolley, which would get me to all the same locations except for #5 for free and the whole gang could come along. Maybe its just me, but I don't get it at these 1/2 hour rates.

I was originally excited about this, thinking the wife and I could ride bikes some downtown without having to lug ours on the car on occasions, but with 1/2 hour rates, we won't be doing that unfortunately. Might be cheaper to rent a bike at the boathouse and have it all day for just $10.

all 5 locations will be within a block or less of a street car stop

all 5 locations will be within a block or less of a street car stop

But that's many years away (if ever), so I don't even consider that in my opinion of something that is happening now. But when/if streetcars materialize, I would find the current bike share pricing even more bizarre.

But that's many years away (if ever), so I don't even consider that in my opinion of something that is happening now. But when/if streetcars materialize, I would find the current bike share pricing even more bizarre.

3 years is not "many years away"

@BBatesokc - they are not really designed for leisurely rides around downtown. They are really intended for business people to have an express ride to another part of downtown. If tourist use them also - great. I guess it would be possible you could get to another rack and it would be full although I assume there would be a surplus of racks vs the number of bikes in the system.

SInce there is no history of use, and with the changing logistics with the opening of the Devon center, there will be issues. It doesn't mean it won't work, but rather adjustments will have to be made. This would seem normal. Adding racks, or moving racks and routes should be quick and easy. Adoption patterns will prevail, I am sure. But, we have to start somewhere.

As for fees, it seems reasonable. This is point to point use, not really intended for site seeing. Let's see if it works here.

@BBatesokc - they are not really designed for leisurely rides around downtown. They are really intended for business people to have an express ride to another part of downtown. If tourist use them also - great. I guess it would be possible you could get to another rack and it would be full although I assume there would be a surplus of racks vs the number of bikes in the system.

I certainly could see someone living in say Midtown and riding one to work downtown and back and the yearly membership could be worth it. Seems like a tiny demographic though. I've never worked a job where I could bike to work. Even when I lived downtown and worked at Children's. Don't see how business attire and bikes can mix. I'm not against it, I just don't really 'get it.' But, it looks hip and cool.

I guess my worry about full stalls came from the sample photo at the beginning of this thread.

I certainly could see someone living in say Midtown and riding one to work downtown and back and the yearly membership could be worth it. Seems like a tiny demographic though. I've never worked a job where I could bike to work. Even when I lived downtown and worked at Children's. Don't see how business attire and bikes can mix. I'm not against it, I just don't really 'get it.' But, it looks hip and cool.

I guess my worry about full stalls came from the sample photo at the beginning of this thread.

If you lived in a tiny apartment in Midtown or Deep Deuce it might be worth having a membership for commuting purposes instead of having to store a bike in your apartment. That is a market that will continue to grow. As for riding in business attire - if you watch the Minneapolis video a significant number of people did just that, but many companies these days are business casual anyhow. The Deep Deuce location is less the 1/2 mile from every downtown office tower. Even the slowest of riders could do that in 3 minutes and most people require way more than 3 minutes of excercise to even get their heart rate up.

Granted it isn’t for everyone but it adds just one more piece to the puzzle for downtown living.

This doesn't seem very well-planned.

I agree. Without having an hourly rate, this will be a failure.

@BBatesokc - they are not really designed for leisurely rides around downtown. They are really intended for business people to have an express ride to another part of downtown. If tourist use them also - great.

JTF - I don't think you're right on this otherwise they'd locate racks deeper in the CBD (farther east on Park Avenue), and not at the Myriad Gardens or OKC Memorial. I also don't believe that there are many people who might spontaneously decide to ride to a meeting or lunch - most people are either cyclists or they aren't, and if they are, they've brought their wheels to work with them, and won't pay for access to a rental that may/may not be available.

Pete - It IS interesting that no racks are in AA, especially with Schlegel Bikes there. Perhaps they tried to strike a deal with Steve, he didn't like the terms and passed. He'd be the go-to guy to maintain the bikes and racks. Steve Lackmeyer would know - he did a story on this (with photo) several months ago.

@BBatesokc - they are not really designed for leisurely rides around downtown. They are really intended for business people to have an express ride to another part of downtown. If tourist use them also - great. I guess it would be possible you could get to another rack and it would be full although I assume there would be a surplus of racks vs the number of bikes in the system.
I disagree. I think these are designed for SOME of that, but why would a person ride from CBD to Midtown for anything other than lunch? And who is going to ride 2 ways plus eat in 30 minutes or less? Not to mention, who wants to pay $5 on top of their lunch, just to ride a bike to lunch. #fail

I disagree. I think these are designed for SOME of that, but why would a person ride from CBD to Midtown for anything other than lunch? And who is going to ride 2 ways plus eat in 30 minutes or less? Not to mention, who wants to pay $5 on top of their lunch, just to ride a bike to lunch. #fail

if you ride CBD to midtown .. you would buy at least a day pass ... check out a bike in CBD ride to midtown and check the bike in at the station ... then after lunch check out another bike and go back to CBD ....

all for that one 5 dollar day pass

Not sure why this is hard to figure out. If you live in Level and want to eat in Midtown you walk across the street and get a bike. You bike to Midtown and you check the bike in. When you are done you check the bike out and ride home - where you check the bike back in. If you work near the Memorial and you need to go to the library - you check the bike out, ride to the library, and bring the bike back. Easily done in under 30 minutes. If you live in Midtown and work downtown you check out a bike in the morning, and check it in downtown. After work you check it out and ride back to Midtown where you check it in.

The bike is transportation to get you from A to B - that's it.

I think this program should be more geared toward downtown tourists and visitors. Bricktown should be the number #1 location and definitely have their own bike rack. People can rent Segways, motorcycles and ride a horse carriage in Bricktown but can not rent a bike?

If you live downtown, midtown, arts, district, deep deuce, etc. you probably own a bike, if that is your choice of transportation.

I definitely like all of the bike racks that have been added all over downtown, more of these please.

I think this program should be more geared toward downtown tourists and visitors. Bricktown should be the number #1 location and definitely have their own bike rack. People can rent Segways, motorcycles and ride a horse carriage in Bricktown but can not rent a bike?

If you live downtown, midtown, arts, district, deep deuce, etc. you probably own a bike, if that is your choice of transportation.

I definitely like all of the bike racks that have been added all over downtown, more of these please.

I would agree Bricktown should of had a location - probably ahead of MBG. Deep Deuce is still in growth mode so many people moving there probably don't own a bike. If you only have 700 sq feet storing a bike could be a problem, unless you want to keep it outside where it is subject to the elements.

I now understand the point to point concept; that makes more sense.

Shouldn't there be a location in the heart of Bricktown though? That's the number one destination for tourists. I don't think at this point that people from out of state or even the 'burbs are walking up to Deep Deuce and will just happen to see a bike rental location up there. If the rack was even just a couple of blocks south at the corner of Sheridan and Mickey Mantle, it could better serve tourists and still be close enough/worth the walk to serve Deep Deuce residents.

if you ride CBD to midtown .. you would buy at least a day pass ... check out a bike in CBD ride to midtown and check the bike in at the station ... then after lunch check out another bike and go back to CBD ....

all for that one 5 dollar day pass but again, why spend $5 when it's likely your using it just for lunch break. If im getting a $5 lunch, im not paying $5 for the bike rental and doubling my lunch cost. Furthermore if you do check one station to station, thats assuming that there will be a bike there ready to take you back. Hourly rates are the way to go for DT workers, and keep the day rate stuff for tourists.

I agree. Without having an hourly rate, this will be a failure.

What do you think the hourly rate should be?

but again, why spend $5 when it's likely your using it just for lunch break. If im getting a $5 lunch, im not paying $5 for the bike rental and doubling my lunch cost. Furthermore if you do check one station to station, thats assuming that there will be a bike there ready to take you back. Hourly rates are the way to go for DT workers, and keep the day rate stuff for tourists.

if you think you are going to use it a bunch you pay 75 and have as many point to point rides as you would want all year