Public bike sharing coming to Detroit

[MSUguy]

Fantastic news the way that bike culture grown in this city nothing short of amazing.

"Lisa Nuszkowski, executive director of Detroit Bike Share for the Downtown Detroit Partnership, said the program -- not to be confused with the system available to employees or affiliates of Dan Gilbert's companies downtown -- will likely begin with 350 bicycles at 35 stations around the greater downtown area. System details will not be finalized until after a vendor is selected, but users would likely be able to pay at the individual stations for daily or annual passes or something in between."

http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...ring/29966255/

[Wesley Mouch]

For those of you who don't follow bike culture or travel much, bike-share programs are a common feature of progressive cities. You sign up, and then you can retrieve a bike from any of a number of locations. And you can return to a different location. Great way to get around less car-centric cities.

[DetroitBoy]

For those of you who don't follow bike culture or travel much, bike-share programs are a common feature of progressive cities. You sign up, and then you can retrieve a bike from any of a number of locations. And you can return to a different location. Great way to get around less car-centric cities.

I hope they intend to secure those bikes in a concrete bunker at each location or they will be ripped off on the first day. Detroit is on the rebound, but progressive it isn't unless you consider constant crime in progress in that definition.

[Hypestyles]

what are the recommended bicycle shops in Detroit proper?

[MSUguy]

I hope they intend to secure those bikes in a concrete bunker at each location or they will be ripped off on the first day. Detroit is on the rebound, but progressive it isn't unless you consider constant crime in progress in that definition.

I was going was say something but Micheal Jackman's article about the bike share program pretty much sums up what needs to be said to people like you.

"So, yes, somebody is already thinking these issues through — which means there's really no need to try to warn anybody in the comments section with your genius-level insights about Detroit and crime"

http://www.metrotimes.com/Blogs/archives/2015/08/24/detroit-to-get-bike-sharing-program

[Honky Tonk]

For those of you who don't follow bike culture or travel much, bike-share programs are a common feature of progressive cities.

Control of crime and finances is also a sign of a progressive City. But strewing cheap bikes about is probably a lot easier and maybe cheaper.

[Shai_Hulud]

I hope they intend to secure those bikes in a concrete bunker at each location or they will be ripped off on the first day. Detroit is on the rebound, but progressive it isn't unless you consider constant crime in progress in that definition.

The Zagster bikes have been downtown for two years now and the racks are full in the early am, so it seems they haven't lost too many of them.

[SyGolden48236]

I was going was say something but Micheal Jackman's article about the bike share program pretty much sums up what needs to be said to people like you.

"So, yes, somebody is already thinking these issues through — which means there's really no need to try to warn anybody in the comments section with your genius-level insights about Detroit and crime"

http://www.metrotimes.com/Blogs/archives/2015/08/24/detroit-to-get-bike-sharing-program

Don't assign too much credibility to the Metro Times. A "newspaper" with no paid circulation that employs junior-varsity level "reporters" and derives the bulk of its revenue from ads for prostitutes and the illicit drug trade cannot be taken too seriously.

[401don]

Why would people steal cheap bikes when they can steal expensive ones if access is less or equal?

[Junjie]

Why would people steal cheap bikes when they can steal expensive ones if access is less or equal?

Precisely - little resale value. Not to mention, bright red or blue cruisers with a big basket on the front aren't typically the preferred ride for the criminal element.

[iheartthed]

I hope they intend to secure those bikes in a concrete bunker at each location or they will be ripped off on the first day. Detroit is on the rebound, but progressive it isn't unless you consider constant crime in progress in that definition.

Yeah, nobody has ever [[EVER!!!!) thought about stealing a bike in any other city except Detroit.

http://gothamist.com/2015/04/16/bike_thieves_abound.php

[Towne Cluber]

Why would people steal cheap bikes when they can steal expensive ones if access is less or equal?

Attempting to assign logic to criminal activity is a recipe for disappointment.

[wolverine]

I'm a member of the bikeshare program in Chicago. I love it. I've barely ridden my own bike.

1. I like that you can make one way trips.
2. I like the unlimited usage for only $70 / year [[though I think it went up)
3. If the bike is damaged on my trip [[flat or crash) I'm not responsible for damages.
4. They handle well. It's like driving a tank.
5. They are safer despite that remarkably few riders that wear helmets. The chances of being involved in a crash and requiring medical assistance last I checked are [[1:1,000,000). Chances of fatality are zero because there has never been a recorded death from the years of bike share usage in the United States.

If the bikes are vandalized or stolen in Detroit as people are suggesting, that would be a first. I've haven't heard of that happening because the bike parts are custom and have no useful function elsewhere. As far as damage, they do sometimes get worn out and damaged from the elements of harsh winters, but you can push a button and van or pickup truck will come and take the bike away for repairs.

[iheartthed]

If the bikes are vandalized or stolen in Detroit as people are suggesting, that would be a first. I've haven't heard of that happening because the bike parts are custom and have no useful function elsewhere. As far as damage, they do sometimes get worn out and damaged from the elements of harsh winters, but you can push a button and van or pickup truck will come and take the bike away for repairs.

The newer ones also have GPS and RFID tags. It would be pretty useless to steal.

[Towne Cluber]

The newer ones also have GPS and RFID tags. It would be pretty useless to steal.

The average thief doesn't know [[what those are) and/or care.

[iheartthed]

The average thief doesn't know [[what those are) and/or care.

That is irrelevant to whether it will be an effective theft deterrent.

[Towne Cluber]

That is irrelevant to whether it will be an effective theft deterrent.

Wrong. It may be an effective TRACKING and/or RECOVERY system, if the police take time to track down stolen bicycles. That is quite different than a DETERRENT...anymore than GPS preventing car theft or home alarm systems preventing break-ins.

[Honky Tonk]

That is irrelevant to whether it will be an effective theft deterrent.

Right, with all the high-tech non-opportunist thieves in Detroit, once they do a study and realize they will need special software to disable the tracking devices, and that hiring skilled technicians to do that wouldn't be cost effective, they will let the bikes be.

[bust]

Right, with all the high-tech non-opportunist thieves in Detroit, once they do a study and realize they will need special software to disable the tracking devices, and that hiring skilled technicians to do that wouldn't be cost effective, they will let the bikes be.

Thieves aren't as stupid as people think. Well, most of them. Let's look at real numbers.

4849 bikes were reported stolen in New York last year.
http://www.amny.com/transit/new-york...ypd-1.10272913

300 of them were citi bikes.
http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/...s-way-up-.html

That's 300 / 4849 == 6.2%.

Now consider that the 4849 figure only counts bikes people report were stolen and so grossly undercounts the real number. I've had three bikes stolen in my lifetime and never reported a single one. None were particularly expensive, so I didn't bother to waste my time. Meanwhile, every citi bike stolen is counted. So the real percentage of bikes stolen that are citi bikes is something much less than 6.2%. The problem gets much less.

True, more citi bikes have been stolen this year. Bike thefts are up overall. And hundreds of stolen bikes is not insignificant.

But things can be done to discourage theft. Most importantly, as previously mentioned, bike share bikes are designed to look uncool and unlike regular bikes, and that's too hard to disguise. People who try to disguise a stolen citi bike fail.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...icle-1.1881014

As a result, the vast majority are stolen for a short joy ride and abandoned. Most are later recovered, and returned to the system.
http://gothamist.com/2014/07/17/citi...n_brooklyn.php

I don’t know if the numbers for stolen citi bikes include those that are recovered and put back into the system. But I suspect it does. If so, the number of citi bikes lost is much less than the number stolen. The problem gets even less.

Technology can help too. That they're planning GPS for the Detroit bikes is encouraging. They don't have that in New York.

So, yes, bikes are stolen. And of course that will happen in Detroit. But at a much lower rate than other bikes.

Given all the other priorities facing the city I'm not sure this is the right one to tackle now. But if the program is implemented intelligently it can work. And if most of the expenses can be covered by private funding and user fees it would be a nice amenity for the city to have.

Just be prepared for the inevitable: when bike share bikes are stolen you can bet the Chicken Littles will squak that the sky is falling. And the sensationalist local media outlets will do everything to try to make it into a scandal. Like that Gothamist article. They're wanton in their need for clicks after all.

[Towne Cluber]

In a city with much higher than average illiteracy/drop-out/truancy rates, you're claiming that [[most) thieves aren't as stupid as people think? [[That's not to mention the record crime and poverty rates)

[iheartthed]

Right, with all the high-tech non-opportunist thieves in Detroit, once they do a study and realize they will need special software to disable the tracking devices, and that hiring skilled technicians to do that wouldn't be cost effective, they will let the bikes be.

I think it's safe to assume you've never actually seen a bike sharing kiosk. It's close to impossible for the bike to be dislodged from the kiosk if they are locked properly. If someone is able to do so then they are probably seriously wasting their skills on petty bike theft.

The most likely ways for someone to steal a bike would be to rob someone who is on one, or wait for the opportunity where someone does not properly engage the locking mechanism to secure the bike on the kiosk. If the person chooses to rob someone... I don't think even the dumbest criminal wouldn't quickly realize that it's not a good idea to rob someone for a bike that is easily tracked by authorities. It might happen a handful of times but, for obvious reasons, it will in no way be commonplace. The second option is a solely based on chance and would probably only be done by bored kids who hang around the kiosks constantly checking for unlocked bikes. Either way, the likelihood of widespread criminal activity around bike sharing is very minimal.

[gvidas]

what are the recommended bicycle shops in Detroit proper?

My current favorite is Metropolis, across from Slow's on Michigan.

The Hub is great for a used bike + service. Usually pretty busy. Cass Ave, half a block N of MLK.

There's a new one in Eastern Market around the corner [[service drive) from Supinos, Motorless City. Never been.

Wheel House on the Riverwalk @ Rivard has been around for a while. I don't think they're open in the winter.

If you just want a straightforward pair of wheels to get you around town, Detroit Bikes has a showroom and store in Capitol Park.

I think there's one more that opened recently but I'm blanking on the name and location.

[mwilbert]

Wrong. It may be an effective TRACKING and/or RECOVERY system, if the police take time to track down stolen bicycles. That is quite different than a DETERRENT...anymore than GPS preventing car theft or home alarm systems preventing break-ins.

First, I expect that home alarm systems do deter break-ins, although to what extent is debatable.

Second, If that was what people meant by a deterrent, then they would also say that having a criminal justice system isn't a deterrent, because it only punishes people who have already committed crimes, but of course that doesn't mean that the threat of punishment doesn't deter other people who haven't yet. Objects that are easy to trace and hard to sell tend not to be stolen, and I think most people would say that is, in fact, deterrence. If it turns out that these bikes fall into that category, then even if prospective thieves don't realize that these bikes are undesirable targets initially, they will figure it out soon enough, and subsequently be deterred.

Personally I would be more worried about vandalism than about theft. I don't know if it is part of the plan, but video surveillance of the kiosks would probably be a good idea. It will be interesting to see what the actual problems with the service turn out to be.

[Towne Cluber]

I don't see how one can reasonably expect Detroit to have a relatively low number of stolen bicycles similar to NYC when none of Detroit's other crime statistics are similar to NYC's.

Also, note that if things such as manhole covers, signage [[playground sign near me was recently lifted), fencing and copper wiring [[in particular from places along major streets) can be successfully stolen...then so too can an "unconventional looking" bicycle.

[noise]

I don't see how one can reasonably expect Detroit to have a relatively low number of stolen bicycles similar to NYC when none of Detroit's other crime statistics are similar to NYC's.

Also, note that if things such as manhole covers, signage [[playground sign near me was recently lifted), fencing and copper wiring [[in particular from places along major streets) can be successfully stolen...then so too can an "unconventional looking" bicycle.

And any day now Meijer and Whole Foods will close up shop.

Or so I was told when they opened.