Melbourne Bike Share

Melbourne Bike Share
Overview
Locale Melbourne, Australia
Transit type Bicycle sharing system
Number of stations 51
Website Melbourne Bike Share
Operation
Began operation 2010
Operator(s) RACV
Number of vehicles 600

Melbourne Bike Share is a bicycle sharing system that serves the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The stations and bicycles are owned by the government and operated in a public-private partnership with RACV. Launched in 2010, the network utilizes a system designed by Montreal-based Bixi with 600 bicycles operating from 51 stations.[1] Melbourne Bike Share is one of two such systems in Australia.

Melbourne Bike Share has experienced low ridership in comparison to other bicycle sharing networks in operation around the world. As of May 2011, users made about 13,000 trips each month, short of the goal of 25,000 trips per month.[2] Observers have noted that local law requires all cyclists to wear helmets, which suppresses the number of people who can regularly use the system. Melbourne and Brisbane are two of a few Cities in the world with a bicycle sharing network that have a mandatory helmet law - Seattle is another example.[3][4] In November 2010, the Victoria state government began offering helmet rentals at selected stations in an attempt to increase both ridership and helmet usage.[5]

To counter continued poor usage, the Victorian Government decided in May 2013 to trial free helmet sharing by attaching the helmets to the handlebars of a portion of the bike share fleet.

Technology

The platform behind the bike share system is created by 8D Technologies, who also supply the server technology for BIXI Montreal, Citi Bike in New York City, Santander Cycles in London, Capital Bikeshare in Washington DC, and others.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "FAQ". Melbourne Bike Share. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  2. ↑ Preiss, Benjamin (31 May 2011). "Bike share scheme disappointing". The Age. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  3. ↑ Lucas, Clay (23 July 2010). "Helmet law makes nonsense of bike hire scheme". The Age. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  4. ↑ "Queensland helmet law". Bicycle Helmet Research Foundation. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  5. ↑ Ripplinger, Sarah (22 November 2010). "Why Bike Share is Failing in Melbourne". Momentum Magazine. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
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