Cycling in Melbourne Australia
The New bike share contract
As I'm sure you know, RACV-ALTA has just signed a contract to bring Bixi-style street rental bikes to Melbourne.
Bixis come from Montreal (The word is a combination of bike and taxi) where 5000 of the bikes have just finished a very successful summer, with millions of rides taken. These sturdy bikes are now spreading around the world. There will soon be Bixis in Boston, 6000 Bixis in London and, yes, 600 in Melbourne, well, maybe.
I found out there's a stumbling block. At the Melbourne Bike Futures Conference, where ALTA made a presentation, it was revealed that Bike Share has never been set up successfully in a city with compulsory helmets.
Why is that? The near impossibility of automatically dispensing a legal, sterilized, helmet on the street along with the bike.
In the movie I've made at the conference, viewable on my blog, And So To Bike, Http://datillo.wordpress.com/ Alison Cohen, presnting for ALTA, candidly admits the difficulties they face because of helmets .
There is no doubt for me that Bike Share would be a huge plus for any city, and it's no surprise that its speading around the world like a bushfire, despite the much publicised vandalism problems of the 30,000 Velibs in Paris.
. Bike share decongests cities, bike share brings in a whole new class of riders, people who've never thought of using a bike for transport before, now try doing so for free, and love it. (The first half hour is usually free)
Most importantly, bike share is making cycling safer, both by upping the number of bikes on the roads, and by bringing in the sit-up-and -beg style of bike (All bike share schemes use this type of bike)
Whilst they are solid, slow, and heavy, Bixis are safer because you see better, and are seen better. This is, after all, the way 89% of Eurpeans who are using bikes as transport, ride. And they, even without helmets, since it's always a choice in Europe, have less serious accidents than we do.
How ironic it would be if the only thing our Federal Govenrment has ever done for bike safety, namely bring in the compulsory helmet law, proves to be the one thing which prevents this far greater, in my opinion, contribution to safety, from hitting our roads.
In any case, true safety under the wheels, not on the head as they Dutch with their 29,000 kms, of bike ways and tiny accident rate, prove
Anyway, this is a drama which is just beginning ,and one we'll all be watching with great interest, I'm sure. Mike Rubbo
Bixis come from Montreal (The word is a combination of bike and taxi) where 5000 of the bikes have just finished a very successful summer, with millions of rides taken. These sturdy bikes are now spreading around the world. There will soon be Bixis in Boston, 6000 Bixis in London and, yes, 600 in Melbourne, well, maybe.
I found out there's a stumbling block. At the Melbourne Bike Futures Conference, where ALTA made a presentation, it was revealed that Bike Share has never been set up successfully in a city with compulsory helmets.
Why is that? The near impossibility of automatically dispensing a legal, sterilized, helmet on the street along with the bike.
In the movie I've made at the conference, viewable on my blog, And So To Bike, Http://datillo.wordpress.com/ Alison Cohen, presnting for ALTA, candidly admits the difficulties they face because of helmets .
There is no doubt for me that Bike Share would be a huge plus for any city, and it's no surprise that its speading around the world like a bushfire, despite the much publicised vandalism problems of the 30,000 Velibs in Paris.
. Bike share decongests cities, bike share brings in a whole new class of riders, people who've never thought of using a bike for transport before, now try doing so for free, and love it. (The first half hour is usually free)
Most importantly, bike share is making cycling safer, both by upping the number of bikes on the roads, and by bringing in the sit-up-and -beg style of bike (All bike share schemes use this type of bike)
Whilst they are solid, slow, and heavy, Bixis are safer because you see better, and are seen better. This is, after all, the way 89% of Eurpeans who are using bikes as transport, ride. And they, even without helmets, since it's always a choice in Europe, have less serious accidents than we do.
How ironic it would be if the only thing our Federal Govenrment has ever done for bike safety, namely bring in the compulsory helmet law, proves to be the one thing which prevents this far greater, in my opinion, contribution to safety, from hitting our roads.
In any case, true safety under the wheels, not on the head as they Dutch with their 29,000 kms, of bike ways and tiny accident rate, prove
Anyway, this is a drama which is just beginning ,and one we'll all be watching with great interest, I'm sure. Mike Rubbo
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steve Jay on -
I'm not sure they necessarily want people to use their cars above all else. I think they (probably naively) see Bike Share as a way to reduce congestion in the inner city, which lets face it, is as good for motoring as it is for anybody.
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Permalink Reply by Neil on -
"the only thing our Federal Govenrment has ever done for bike safety, namely bring in the compulsory helmet law"
LOL
On the other hand, the car lobby has a vested interest in getting bicycles off "its" roads and could well see free bikes as a threat which they can discredit by making sure this scheme fails.
Helmets were a first step in discouraging cycling -- when the helmet laws bring down this scheme, you can be sure it will be the end of Velib-style schemes in Australia forever.
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Permalink Reply by ChrisS on -
Carlton Reid expands upon the topic on quickrelease.tv + link to Mikes video: Could bike sharing schemes kill helmet compulsion laws?
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Permalink Reply by Mike rubbo on -
Thanks Chris, for putting up my movie. Carlton Reid did a good job of expanding the theme, I thought. Great how things spread around. One strange thing. The movie had five red stars up until this afternoon. It must have upset someone enough to strip off all its stars except half a one. I wonder why they left the half? Mike Rybbo
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Permalink Reply by Cory on -
To put a spanner in the works (which I hate to do, because I think the idea of distinction could work*), but what would constitute a shopping bike, and not?
I have (cough) a number of bikes. Some have very upright stances. Others, not so. And one (a folder), can pretty-much have any geo you want. With yr electric bike - there's an easy measurement (largely driven by the manufacturer). But what would be your measurement? Height of saddle v handlebars perhaps? :S
*Although, politically, I couldn't see a government implementing it.
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Permalink Reply by trundlebug on -
Shopping-bike helmet-exemption is a brilliant notion. Practically unenforceable of course, but a reasonable concession (particularly backed up with something like the abovementioned saddle:handlebar height ratio qualification) without having to give up the hard-line helmet stance so dear to the authorities.
For myself, I wouldn't think of doing the daily commute without a helmet, but that's due to the riding environment. Copenhagen, Amsterdam etc? No qualms at all. More bikes help make more bikes safer, and public bikes are a tacit admission that cars don't own public spaces.
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Permalink Reply by Cory on
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Ditto. But running* up to the shops, which is all of a 5 min walk, I could see myself forgoing it at times. (But then, I'd be questioning me not using it if my daughter could see me) :S
*by that, I mean riding, of course.
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Permalink Reply by Mike rubbo on
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Cory, a question. Do you have a basket on your bike? . Is not significant that you'll never see a photo of a basket on a bike in Australian cyclist, which is not a racing mag but put out by Bike Vic and Bike NSW as I understand it. What you will see, though, is a huge amount of lycra. Something's bit warped, it seems to me if we want to have a bike culture which is effective in replacing cars. Mike
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Permalink Reply by Mike rubbo on
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Yes, why don't we start thinking about the appropriate clothing for the appropriate situation, and let adult rational choice play a role as it does everywhere else (almost( in the woeld of global cycling. We are not babies.
I too wear a helmet most of the time, having added a sun shade i really like. But ducking down to the shops, I want to do that helmetless without being a criminal.
By the way, can you encourage some debate on my blog about the movie and ti's proposoal? Trundlebug?
If any pollies are to see the argument for helmet relaxation to facilitate bike share, it'll probably be on the blog. http://datillo.worpress.com/ The name is actually, And So To bike, but as yet that does not search too well. If my name goes after it, Mike Rubbo, it does come up.
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Permalink Reply by Mike rubbo on
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Good points, Cory, but I think a way could be found to make the distinction. It's worth a try.The sit-up bikes, heavier, slower, more basic, are inherently different, and that is surely enough to work on.
I predict the results of exempting such bikes from the helmet law, would be positive and dramatic. At the moment the Govt can rest on thist law as their unique way of taking care of bike safety.
If there was any relaxation of that law, several things would happen rapidly.
1. Utiltiy bike numbers would shoot up.
2. The tourist dollars would increase.
3. Mainly positive feedback from visitor users would flood in. Is the system flexible, hassle free, fun, and a plus for the host city?
4. The bike share program will grow and improve. The 600 bikes slated for Melbourne would grow towards the 5000 now circling Montreal, a smaller city.
3.. Pressure would build from local new rider lobby groups to shift bike safety to where it mainly belongs, under the wheels not on the head.
4.. Govt will have to scramble to re prioritize their road spending to reflect the new pressures.
5..Bike-ways will go in rapidly , at first with little national co ordination, but with ever increasing planning
6.. The federal Govt.. which has hitherto been so disinterested, detached, indeed shown not leadership.
(Which is why we now have such confusion of responsibility at so many levels) The Feds will have to show leadership by organizing a national effort, setting out who does what and by when. We urgently need a national critical path for cycling, with firm targets and dates .
As it is, it is going to be very embarrassing in a few weeks time to arrive in Copenhagen, where bike the commuting rate is amongst the world's highest, round 40%, and where they have firm targets for the future, and for us to try and explain why our bike commute rate is amongst the worlds lowest, and that we have no plan, and we have no targets.
We've run out of excuses. Our per capita carbon footprint at over 20 tons for each of us, the world's highest. Our obesity levels are also near the world's highest, and our health spending is consequentially out of control. Our car dependency, and the havoc that creates in our cities, is also at a crisis point.
All l these things are screaming, do something! In Copenhagen, if our journalists do their job, that scream will be heard around the world.
The first shot has already been fired. Last week, the ABC's Foreign Correspondent showed how well Denmark is doing in becoming energy independent of fossil fuels. Bikes came into the report as an important part of the story. There will be more stories like this, and next time they will be comparative.
I think we can fairly say that a people which cant or wont commute on bikes for short distance, is not serious about climate change.
Further, we can say that a Govt. which wont make such commutes safe by building separated bike paths, do nothing beyond enforcing the helmet law, is not serious about climate change either.
Why is that wrong? Mike
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Permalink Reply by Cory on
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Sadly, I firmly believe this State Government's commitment to 'clean' [cough, cough] coal is proof that any commitment to defeating climate change is just greenwash to win the odd vote.
(Oh, and desal plant, lack of switching to anything beyond Stage 3a water restrictions, yadda, yadda, yadda).
I would, however, fully support and campaign for changes as you suggest.
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Permalink Reply by Adrian on -
I just spent 3 weeks working in Montreal and had the pleasure of using the BIXI system.
I just hope my BIXI key from Montreal works here without needing to sign up again.
It was so convenient and saved using taxis.
I used it to go everywhere in town for business and pleasure.
Helmets in Melbourne are not an issue at all. People willl either bring their own (they're light and easy enough to take when travelling) or people will hire one. There's a business opportunity just waiting for someone.
BIXI was the best way to see and commute in Montreal. I rode the Lacine Canal, the Grand Prix Circuit and up to the top of Mont Royal.
The 7 speed bikes were way more flxible in gearing than the 3 speed bikes but both performed well. Carrying shopping was easy. Seat adjustment was easy. Logging on now from home I can still look at all the times I took a bike. Which place I picked up and dropped off and approximately how many km's I did.
The exercise helped balance out the restaurant foods I ate while away.
BIXI IS THE BEST NEWS FOR MELBOURNE IN AGES !!!!!!!!!
Adrian
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