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Toronto Bike Share
- Thread starter kettal
- Start date
LNahid2000
Senior Member
First they need to figure out how to keep them charged since they can't keep most of their e-bike fleet charged right now. More charging stations, and some sort of incentive to dock an e-bike at a charging station would help immensely.
Northern Light
Superstar
We already knew that the planned Bikeshare expansion this coming year was 38 additional docks...........but this note in a budget report gives us a bit more info.
Taken from here: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/bu/bgrd/backgroundfile-172524.pdf
Taken from here: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/bu/bgrd/backgroundfile-172524.pdf
unforgettableid
New Member
Let me offer my late replies to some posts from way back in this past March.
Sometimes they lock them.
The user agreement doesn't forbid commercial use. However, system staff don't allow members to lock any Bike Share bike to a post-and-ring stand or other common object.
If you photograph the bike, the lock, and the bike-number sticker, you can report the violation. Customer service can warn the courier and possibly cancel their membership.
(Source.)
The e-bikes can be reasonably fun. If you've never ridden an e-bike, I'd encourage you to try one at least once.
I've started a thread in the /r/bikeshare sub-Reddit (which I co-moderate) to discuss the issue of couriers hogging e-bikes. Some of the regulars in that sub-Reddit are mechanics or other bike-share system employees.
Say a courier hogs an e-bike, but is somewhat careless about renewing it. They sometimes renew it on time, but sometimes don't. Say they accrue $10, $20, or $30 of overage per day.
These overage fees will add up over time, especially if the couriers use the bikes in the winter and/or early spring. The system might be able to use these overage fees to buy many more e-bikes, so that everyone wins.
Another possible option might be to charge a per-minute fee for all use of e-bikes during peak hours. A third possible option might be to charge a per-minute fee for all e-bike usage once a user exceeds some reasonable monthly-use threshold.
Sometimes they lock them.
The user agreement doesn't forbid commercial use. However, system staff don't allow members to lock any Bike Share bike to a post-and-ring stand or other common object.
If you photograph the bike, the lock, and the bike-number sticker, you can report the violation. Customer service can warn the courier and possibly cancel their membership.
(Source.)
The e-bikes can be reasonably fun. If you've never ridden an e-bike, I'd encourage you to try one at least once.
Couriers use the e-bikes even during the summer.
I've started a thread in the /r/bikeshare sub-Reddit (which I co-moderate) to discuss the issue of couriers hogging e-bikes. Some of the regulars in that sub-Reddit are mechanics or other bike-share system employees.
Say a courier hogs an e-bike, but is somewhat careless about renewing it. They sometimes renew it on time, but sometimes don't. Say they accrue $10, $20, or $30 of overage per day.
These overage fees will add up over time, especially if the couriers use the bikes in the winter and/or early spring. The system might be able to use these overage fees to buy many more e-bikes, so that everyone wins.
Another possible option might be to charge a per-minute fee for all use of e-bikes during peak hours. A third possible option might be to charge a per-minute fee for all e-bike usage once a user exceeds some reasonable monthly-use threshold.
Admiral Beez
Superstar
The system could be set to lock the ebike to its current user the next time it’s docked. So, you get one ebike use per day.
max
Active Member
The one time I got an e-bike I rode it from downtown to deep in Etobicoke. I'm not ashamed to say that I still needed some docking for that trip.
One of the best parts about the e-bikes is that it enables much longer trips than you'd normally take on a bike share so I view such a policy as a negative impact on the group we're trying to serve. I'd prefer something like no more than 5 or 7 uses per day and bring back escalating overage fees and make them accrue for the entire day as opposed to per trip.
allengeorge
Senior Member
I think this is the right idea. My guess is that if you model e-bike usage you’ll see a small percentage of users racking up most of the rides, and probably an order of magnitude more than the median.
The interesting thing is that you may want to escalate the fees just enough and not cap uses so that you can pump more revenue into the system from these super users without causing their usage to fall off a cliff (I think it’s good that couriers are using bikes instead of cars, for example). If your goal is simply to make e-bikes more generally available for everyone then a system that caps the number of e-bike trips a day would be preferable, I think.
FWIW, Citibike in NYC has per-minute premium on e-bike usage. But you also don’t see couriers use Citibike ebikes because of the availability of tons of private e-bike companies that rent out to delivery drivers.
unforgettableid
New Member
Yes! I think that increasing the courier fees just the right amount might be the perfect solution. Instead of driving cars or buying their own e-bikes, some couriers will continue to use Bike Share. Perhaps the fees could be used to buy more e-bikes, creating a virtuous circle in which the system gains many new e-bikes and stations every year. In time, maybe, there could be an ample supply of e-bikes, so that both couriers and regular users can easily find one.
Citi Bike is a private, for-profit system. (Source.) It earns a profit every year. The profit motive encourages the owners to improve service quality. (Source.) Members are charged US$0.12/minute for e-bike use. This is US$7.20 per hour. (Source.) The fees add up quickly, and likely make Citi Bike an unattractive option for couriers. (Source.) I think this is the real reason why couriers don't use Citi Bike.
If the Citi Bike system would offer volume discount pricing for couriers who use e-bikes all day, perhaps more couriers would switch to the comfort and ease of Citi Bike. This might bring benefits to non-courier Citi Bike users, too.
WillTo
Senior Member
Does anyone know what these arrows above the stations mean?
LNahid2000
Senior Member
It's a future prediction of the increase or decrease in bikes. If you click on a station, it will give you a number as well.
C
christiesplits
Guest
afransen
Senior Member
Related to Ttc elevator vandalism?
Allandale25
Senior Member
Northern Light
Superstar
Time to update the 2022 Bikeshare Expansion Plan.
Report heading to the February 18th meeting of The Toronto Parking Authority seeking authorization for this year's new bikes has some details.
From the Report:
An Additional general update on Bikeshare is also headed to the same meeting; report link below:
From that report:
Bold opening statement:
Then...
And
First time I think we've heard the explicit goal of being in all 25 wards:
On the 45M plan:
Lastly, on the challenges with E-Bikes:
Report heading to the February 18th meeting of The Toronto Parking Authority seeking authorization for this year's new bikes has some details.
From the Report:
An Additional general update on Bikeshare is also headed to the same meeting; report link below:
From that report:
Bold opening statement:
Then...
And
First time I think we've heard the explicit goal of being in all 25 wards:
On the 45M plan:
Lastly, on the challenges with E-Bikes:
Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
The report gives the impression that the Bike Share Toronto program is fairly competent in planning and operations and well-managed as far as city departments go. The real barrier to operations and expansion seems to be a simple matter of available funding.
The next Toronto budget needs to include more funding for Bike Share. I hope public officials see the massive potential at wake here.
The next Toronto budget needs to include more funding for Bike Share. I hope public officials see the massive potential at wake here.