‘European style’ bike-sharing to begin in Newport
July 8th, 2009, 11:54 am · 23 Comments · posted by Pat Brennan, science, environment editor
A Newport Beach foundation will become the first to offer “European style” bike-sharing in Orange County, allowing users to grab a bike at one bike station and leave it at another. 
The program, meant to cut greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, begins with plenty of fanfare this weekend, with events scheduled in Newport Friday through Monday.
“We’re trying to work with different communities to reduce the carbon footprint and traffic issues,” said Alan Brandenburger, founder of the non-profit Brandenburger Foundation. “It’s a green community, kind of forward thinking on the environment, and that is what it’s all about.”
The foundation is partnering with the Bixi Bike System, which has set up a similar system in Montreal, Canada (below). ”There are no bike-sharing programs of this caliber in the U.S.” he said.
The foundation hopes eventually to set up many bike stations around Newport, with the mobile kiosks holding seven bikes each. One demonstration station will be setup this weekend.
Users must run a credit card through a card reader to pay fees, although 30 minute rides are free. After that, fees range from $1.50 for the second 30 minutes to $6 for the fourth 30-minute period and each 30-minute period beyond that. The price increases to encourage people to use the bikes only for short increments of time.
They can also purchase 24-hour access for $5, a 30-day subscription for $28, and a 1-year subscription for $120. Memberships will be available on the program’s web site.
The bikes are automatically locked when the front wheel is placed in a dock at the bike station. Punching in a code triggers a green light and releases the bike.
The foundation will hold events to introduce the bikes at Newport Beach City Hall on Friday, Balboa Pier on Saturday, Newport Pier on Sunday and the Orange County Transportation Authority bus depot at Fashion Island on Monday morning, then at Newport Elementary School in the afternoon.
“It can really change a city, the way its transportation flows,” Brandenburger said. “It’s amazing.”
(Photos courtesy of Alan Brandenburger.)
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Bikes don’t reduce footprints, people do… Making, buying, storing, and renting bikes won’t reduce anything! Make Newport more bike friendly, better bike lanes and routes, educate people on biker rights and rules. The worst thing about riding a bike in the Newport area is the people, uptight, self centered, drivers that think they own the road! Ticket the people who drive like jerks around cyclists, not kids on fixed gears who are cutting down on your precious footprint.
I think they better put gps on these bikes. I would be willing to bet that these bikes do not last for more than a week before some one realize that the bike is not coming back.
It looks like they have your credit card info, so I think those bikes are coming back.
That would be great in Santa Ana.
Everything has to be for a “green” reason. Why can’t they just say that riding a bike can be fun? Oh I forgot. Having fun causes climate change.
Carbon footprint, Man made climate change – Hooey!
I used this system when i was in Montreal in May. It worked great! I could see the city and there was always a bike available. Plus I think the bikes have an ID chip in them to prevent theft. Great Idea.
Congratulations my lucky comrades in N.B. from all other citizens of the new socialist communist state of Caleforenia. Thank you for saving the planet! Nancy Pelosi would approve. When will the world learn that its this kind of forward thinking that will save us all from spontaneous combustion! retards, all of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great idea. A positive push for many. Newport is an excellent place to cruise.
Grrrrreat! I wonder how long those bike last. I bet they’ll all be stolen within a month.
I’m surprised at the responses above since I would think most everyone would want to eliminate the congestion on the streets of California. I think this is a great idea and would love to see them at all beaches, Universities, and train stations. With the gas prices soaring, I’d want to buy a membership. For only $120 a year?! That’s my gas for a month! I’d do it! Kudos to you and good luck!
So help me get this straight.
30 minutes free
31-60 minutes $1.50
61-90 minutes unstated
91-120 minutes $6
That can be between $7.50 to $19.50 for two hours.
Kinda steep pricing don’t you think?
Buy your own cruiser for $250 and it pays for itself before the end of summer.
Ah, what happens when you get to a bike station and the seven slots are full? You are still paying $12 an hour with no way to shut off the money tap on your credit card. (Sucker)
Oh yes! You take out another bike for the free 30 minutes so you can park your $12/hour ride. Then you wait for another patron to take out a bike you you can rid yourself of yours!
Then call a cab to take you back to your parked car, which you used to get to the first bike station, or ride the bike back, hoping there is a space to “turn off” your now $25.50 bike ride.
It might be a long wait, at night.
Or you and your girl/man go for a ride and park your two bikes. When you want to leave there is only one bike available and it’s a three mile walk back to your car.
Oh this is going to be wonderful, I can see it now.
Throw the bike in the ocean and walk home.
So many negative comments… I think this is a wonderful idea and hope they expand the program to other cities! I used the Velib system when I was in Paris last year and it really does work out well. Bikes aren’t stolen because with your credit card on file thieves are charged the cost of the bike (or more) so there is incentive to return it. The pricing is designed so it is used for either short periods, or entire days… Ride it to the movies and turn it in and either pay nothing if it took you less than half an hour or as much as $2 if it took you up to an hour. Turn it in, then 2 hours later rent another bike when you come out.
I don’t think the system is meant to be used 5 days a week indefinitely. It’s just to fill in the gaps here and there for some people when they’re in a jam, which I think is a good idea. Obviously if you want to ride a bike every day, it would be cheaper to just buy one yourself.
Way to go! It’s great to see someone take initiative to do something positive. I am surprised at some of the negative comments – perhaps they should just pave more of California.
Wow, hopefully none of those complainers take out a bike…they probably will be the ones to make the system fail! I think it is a great
idea, and I agree with the guy who says it doesn’t have to be a green thing…biking is just fun, you’re outside, you can pick it up and drop it off without worrying about bringing your own bike and lock. Plus, it will reduce some of the crazy summer traffic on the Peninsula.
Good luck this weekend, I will see you there.
Fine program but where to ride? Still drivers on road that like want to push you off road. Some have side swiped me. The first major injury on city bike, what will happen? How is insured and pay medical? What if fatality? City lawsuit? Just some questions about the real world and fantasy of “green.” To be safe on bike would bring out 10 of thousands of bikes people already have sitting in garage/storage collecting dust for fear of getting injured by autos. The weather is great. Not 110 like in Phoenix that I came from, neither 30 in canada.
Fine step in direction of needed change, but way to short if one thinks this is a milestone. Points from 40 years of cycling.
Fine program but where to ride? Still we have drivers on road that seem like they want to push you off road. Some have side swiped me. The first major injury on city bike, what will happen? Who is the one insured and pay medical? What if fatality? City lawsuit? Just some questions about the real world and fantasy of “green.” To be safe on bike would bring out 10 of thousands of bikes people already have sitting in garage/storage collecting dust for fear of getting injured by autos. The weather is great. Not 110 like in Phoenix that I came from, neither 30 in canada.
Fine step in direction of needed change, but way to short if one thinks this is a milestone. Points from 40 years of cycling.
Hope this project goes well for you. With the area and weather, I think this can be a real winner. Love to see it become successful and expanded to our area in the North….
The program is a great idea. We could use this on the east coast.
This is a great idea. Did the haters think that this would be great for tourists to explore Newport? How about the about of parking more of these bikes would free up? The congestion they will alleviate by taking cars off the road? I do hate it when the main emphasis on bike riding is about being “green”. When riding a bike is fun, great exercise, a great way to get around and the most efficient form of transport known to man. Yes, if you live in Newport, or anywhere else, and want to use a bike on a regular basis, buy one from a local bike shop and support the economy. The fascists who don’t like this idea or hope it will fail because they think that cars are the only means of transportation. Time for me to hop on my bike and run some errands. Share the Road!
I used this system in Paris last year. It works well there and I hope
it is successful here too. A great way to get around!
This program will be a complete failure, mark my words. I live on Balboa in Newport and here are a few of my thoughts:
1. This program does not cater to the community that lives in Newport it only caters to the tourists that infest our city every summer. Most, if not all locals own bikes or walk anywhere they need to go. Free parking is a premium so no locals drive anywhere after they have found a parking spot.
2. This program decreases the tax revinue generated by the multiple bike stores in the Newport community that rent bikes to tourists. Some have suggested that supporting the local community by purchasing a bike is good, but in this instance we are loosing our tax revinue from bike rentals (granted it is going to a non-profit orgnization).
3. There are constant complaints in the community of the unsafe conditions of the boardwalk due to bikes and high traffic volume. By allowing people that are unfamiliar with the area to ride a free bike with complete disregard for 30 minutes will cause a significant increase in biking volume and accidents on the boardwalk.
4. Bikes are constanly beign stolen in and around Newport. How will this affect our police force when these bikes that are credit card rented must constantly respond to calls for stolen bikes. Most locals that have lived here for any time have had multiple bikes stolen, and very rarely report the theft to the police.
I am dissapointed that we have such simple minded people in our city coucil that would allow this farce of an agenda to be pushed. To actually consider this a “green initiative” is rediculous. I agree that riding bikes is efficient and fun, I absolutely love riding my cruiser around newport. But rather than pushing this agenda should we be looking to increasing the boardwalk space and bike path saftey instead.
Thanks for reading.