developing a regional bike sharing program

Harvard Transportation Case Study:

“Developing a Regional Bike Sharing Program”

Presented by:

John W. Nolan MS, CAPP

Directors of Transportation Services

Harvard University

Meeting of the Minds VIIIThe University of Rochester

July 15th, 2011

Today’s Outline

Bike program

Bike program goals

Bike system Infrastructure

How to use the bike system

Importance of roadway infrastructure

Relationship to sustainability

Regional operational and financial models

So What is Bike sharing?

It’s part of a greater policy effort to expand efficient transportation choices.

The program aims to reduce intra campus and city car travel, carbon emissions and greenhouse gases while promoting active transportation, and providing an additional link to the public and private transit systems.

“Hubway” hopes to bring cycling into the mainstream by making bike use highly visible in the urban core, affordable, and conveniently accessible.

The Bike Sharing Program Also…

Brings cycling into the transit mainstream by making bike use a highly visible transportation mode in the urban core

Introduces a low priced mode of Public Transportation

After the cost of an initial permit allows people to move around the City FREE of charge (30 min)

Bike System Goals

Grow to 400 stations and 5000 bicycles in Boston and neighboring municipalities.

The second phase of system expansion will occur throughout 2011 and spring 2012 when Cambridge, Somerville, and Brookline expand their bike share network.

Additional communities including Winthrop, Newton, and Arlington to date, have shown serious interest in participating in the program.

Bike Station Features

Platform “Drop and Go” platform for portability.

No construction or excavation needed.

Aluminum. Corrosion and rust resistant.

Real-time reporting of breakdowns.

Terminal 12 gauge satin coat rolled steel for rust protection.

Interior is 14 & 15 gauge satin coat rolled steel.

Station Components

Solar Power

Panel – Map/Ads

Standard Bike Rack - 15 slots

-10 bikes

Platform-Mobile & Modular

Transaction Station

Program Overview

Convenient Stations every quarter mile Access bikes with swipe of card Return bike at any kiosk

Inexpensive Thirty minutes free

Mainstream Users are residents, workers, tourists, and studentsDesigned for everyday trips in any clothing, even skirts and suits

About the Stations

The Stations:

Are fully mobile, modular, and solar powered.

Easy to install by mobile transit teams

Can increase or decrease in size based on demand and removal takes less than one hour.

The system will be operated throughout 9 months of the year (March-November).

Alternative Layouts

Standard Two Sided “L – Shaped

On Street Installation

More About The Bikes

The bikes use non-standard parts and tools to deter theft.

Incorporate pedal powered lighting systems for safety.

Have reinforced frames to hold up to vandals.

Are fully rust-resistant.

In addition, the design of the bikes favors every day trips in any clothing including suits and skirts.

•Reinforced aluminum

•Theft-proof seat

•Puncture-proof tires

•Heavy-duty rims

•Chain protector

Bike Durability

Anti-Theft Components

Anti-tamper components / Durable aluminum alloy

Anti-theft locking mechanism / Non-standard tools required

“Off Street” Application

Paris France-Velib

How To Use The System

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nCtbU7Svs0

First Year Implementation Goal

85 stations

1,000 bikes

2,319 daily bike trips

11,225 annual subscribers

31,800 annual occasional users

635,095 annual bike trips

1,905,300 million miles ridden annually

Building the Roadway Infrastructure

Built 38 miles of new bike lanes over the last 4 years

Added cycle tracks in a number of neighborhood street sections allowed

Harvard’s Participation

Sponsoring nine (9) bike stations

Initial focus in Boston on the Allston and Longwood Campuses

Part of our commitment to Sustainability

Adds another alternative commuting choice

Provides an additional link to other modalities including Public Transportation

A Sustainable Practice

Cycling is a wonderful way to combine three things:

Fitness--Recreation--Transportation

The mission of a bike share program is to encourage a cultural shift for people toward increased participation in non-carbon modes of transportation.

Hubway will provide those who do not own bicycles with the opportunity to explore the region, connect with the outdoors, and see how beneficial a bike can be while rediscovering the fun of bike-riding.

Carbon Footprint Calculation

Line Title Notes System Wide

1 Annual Trips Taken from Alta's proposal 330,500

2 Average Miles per Trip Source: Paris Velia system research 2

3 Total Annual Miles Biked Line 1*Line 2 661,000

4 % Bike Trips that replace

Car Trips

Source: DC Hubway (pilot system) survey 25%

5 Annual Vehicle Miles

Eliminated (VME)

Line 3* Line 4 165,250

6 VME per 3 year sponsor

term

Line 5 * 3 495,750

7 Average VME per station

per 3 year sponsor term

Line 6/61 stations 8,127

8 Estimated VME per station

at Harvard, for 3 year term

Line 7*2 students / 1 average user; Source:

Alta's proposal estimates 2% of student

population will become Hubway members,

compared with 1% of regular population.

16,254

9 Total TONS GHG

eliminated per station,

per sponsor term.

Line 8 * 1 ton/1,120 VME (average US car

efficiency) * 2/1 GHG conversion factor

for short trips less than 2 miles due to

vehicle inefficiency on short trips

29

Road Infrastructure

North Harvard Street-Boston

Protected Bike and Pedestrian Lane NYC

Cycle Tracks

Cycle Track System Concerns:

There are safety issues at road crossings with vehicles turning right and with driveways and cars backing out but these issues have solutions, as tested in Europe.

Below are two examples of intersection treatments in Europe And we are only asking that some models be tried in the U.S.

Cycling Infrastructure

Metropolitan Area Planning Council Outline

To participate in the bike share program each municipality must:

Provide funds to both purchase the system as well as provide funds for operations.

Encouraged to provide the user with advertising revenue to help cover the cost of operations.

The municipality must be able to financially guarantee the operations through the third year from the system launch.

The equipment will be owned (per FTA requirements) by the City of Boston and the other respective municipalities that participate.

Metropolitan Area Planning Council Outline

A contract may be set up with the vendor such that the system may be owned by the municipality up front or at the conclusion of the contract.

Each Municipality is highly encouraged to seek corporate, institutional, grant, or other private or public funding sources to sponsor stations and grow the system.

The City of Boston has fundraised to date $1.2 million in corporate sponsorships, plus almost $1million in federal and state funds.

The bike share program has secured an additional $3 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration that is available to the municipalities to access.

License Agreement

Terms and fees

Insurance and indemnification

Site preparation

Installation and removal

Maintenance and site modification

Surrender assignment and disputes

Use of Name

Signage

Financial Cost Model Per Station Expenses and Revenue (10 bikes, 15-19 docks)

Expenses

Equipment Costs (Stations & Bikes) $43,650

Launch fee $14,869

Subtotal Launch Cost (Equipment plus Launch fee) $58,519

3 year Operations costs to municipality $38,517

Per year Operations costs to municipality $12,839

Subtotal 3 Year Cost (Equipment, Launch & 3 yrs ops) $97,036

FTA funding available - applies to launch & equip only ($29,538)

TOTAL Cost to City (3 years, non-federal source) $67,498

Revenue

3 Year Revenue from Ridership $41,885

Per Year Revenue from Ridership $13,962

Per Year Revenue to City (50% of net revenue) $1,527

3 Year Revenue to City (50% of net revenue) $4,582

Cost to HarvardBoston Model

The cost of sponsorship is $50,000 per station for 3 years and includes equipment, start-up & operating expenses. The City of Boston has offered the following financing plan:

$15,000 FY11

$15,000 FY12

$20,000 FY13

Cost to HarvardCambridge Model

The cost of sponsorship is $50,000 per station for 3 years paid up front

Harvard’s Office for Sustainability have agreed to allow the utilization of its Green Campus Loan Fund to finance the sponsorship fee of $50,000 for the 4 stations in Cambridge, or a total funding of $200,000.

$17, 667 per year, including an annual 3% administrative fee.

Potential sponsors will complete the loan fund application

The total amount of $200,000 for the 4 stations will be guaranteed by Transportation Services which will take the lead in identifying and marketing the Program to potential University sponsors with the assistance of OFS and other Campus Services units as needed.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino

“Over the past four years we have taken great strides toward making Boston a city that welcomes and encourages bicycling, but this innovative bike share system may be the most significant step yet, …we have worked tirelessly to build the infrastructure necessary to support such a system and we are confident that there is no better time to make “Hubway” a reality. I want to thank Harvard University for its tremendous support of this endeavor.”

The New “Hubway”

QUESTIONS??