| These Lime bikes and other "bike shares" will be invading Redmond. |
Well, it looks like the unpleasant "Lime Greens" will shortly be seen on most corners of our downtown and some even polluting our neighborhoods and trails unless the city doesn't put firm regulations on them. The "Limes" and other bike shares coming out of Seattle could pressure our three bike shops out of Redmond; we'd lose the tax income from these shops and our city's character. But, they do provide short transportation links to and from the transit centers.
I saw a large tangle of about 20 unused Limes at the Bothell bridge over the Sammamish River. And, I saw one Lime abandoned on the green-belt next to the river. I guess someone wanted to ride from Bothell, to a nice spot on the river, dump the bike (like trash) and hike back. And then, there's the safety issue. People who have never ridden a bike, especially in downtown streets, are more susceptible to a collision.
The Limes are now electric so have the capability to run through our downtown transportation corridors-- and be left on roads like East and West Lake Sammamish Blvd. 116th and 124th. Residents could drive them to the Downtown Park and surround it (art?) before heading back up the hill to neighborhood feeders. Same with the soccer fields and community center.
Shelly, a salesperson for Seattle Electric Bike in Bothell said she had some concerns about the bike shares but indicated permitting should solve most problems. She sells a wide variety of sturdy, aesthetically pleasing electric bikes as does PIM and PEDEGO-Redmond. (PIM is out of Freemont and PEDEGO-Redmond is at 8296 160th Ave, NE.).
"Read More" for the City of Redmond's plans and point of view
Council Considering Bike Share Launch in summer
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| Lake Union (Kiro.) Lake Sammamish next? |
The Limes are now electric so have the capability to run through our downtown transportation corridors-- and be left on roads like East and West Lake Sammamish Blvd. 116th and 124th. Residents could drive them to the Downtown Park and surround it (art?) before heading back up the hill to neighborhood feeders. Same with the soccer fields and community center.
Shelly, a salesperson for Seattle Electric Bike in Bothell said she had some concerns about the bike shares but indicated permitting should solve most problems. She sells a wide variety of sturdy, aesthetically pleasing electric bikes as does PIM and PEDEGO-Redmond. (PIM is out of Freemont and PEDEGO-Redmond is at 8296 160th Ave, NE.).
"Read More" for the City of Redmond's plans and point of view
Council Considering Bike Share Launch in summer
Redmond City Council is considering action this spring, which if approved, is anticipat"ed to enable bike share to launch in early summer 2018.
The service would be provided by private bike share companies via a permit with Redmond - bringing bike share to Redmond at no cost to the City.
The service would be provided by private bike share companies via a permit with Redmond - bringing bike share to Redmond at no cost to the City.
Bike share could improve travel choices and mobility
Contact
If bike share comes to Redmond and there is an issue, citizens would be asked to contact the bike share provider. Contacts will be provided when operation begins.
The City's contact for this project is Buff Brown, Senior Transit Planner. Buff can be reached at bbrown@redmond.gov or at 425-556-2870.
The City's contact for this project is Buff Brown, Senior Transit Planner. Buff can be reached at bbrown@redmond.gov or at 425-556-2870.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will I use bike share?
Each company is independent and has its own system of bikes and phone application. The phone application is used to find bikes, then to unlock a bicycle, and pay for rides (certain companies offer the first ride for free). Phone applications may be found via company websites, the Apple or Google Play stores.
How will bike share be implemented?
The City of Redmond is considering a pilot program. Under the current concept being considered, the city would regulate bike share through a right-of-way use permit which contains conditions the company must follow to operate, and continue to operate in Redmond. The City will monitor the performance of each company throughout the pilot program and can revoke the permit of a permittee that is not meeting the requirements.
When would bike share be implemented?
The City of Redmond is considering a summer implementation of bike share. The right-of-way permit code (RMC 12.08) would need to first be updated allowing for the creation of a bike share permit. This will require an ordinance to be approved by City Council. City Council agendas can be viewed here.
Once the code amendment is adopted, bike share permits can then be issued. Private companies would then be allowed to apply for a permit which includes insurance, bonding, and indemnification of the city.
How will the City control bike clutter and parking?
The permit requirements are in consideration and some areas of focus are:
- limiting the number of bikes allowed in Redmond and subareas
- responsiveness to citizen complaints
- moving any bicycles that are a nuisance, a hazard, or in a walkway
- bicycle maintenance
- remedies to address the above issues
How much will this cost the City?
Bike share service would be provided by these companies at no cost to the city. The permit will include indemnification, liability insurance, bonding in case of termination, and reimbursement of any city staff time for monitoring and bike moving.
Why is Redmond considering implementing bike share?
Redmond’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP) envisions improved travel choices to provide mobility. One option to achieve this strategy is to implement bike share to improve access to bicycles. This will:
- Provide bicycles for short trips: Convenient access to bicycles will enable short trips to be taken by bicycle instead of by car. This may potentially be a significant number of trips. The average trip length for all trips in Redmond is 2.2 miles or approximately a 15-minute bicycle ride.
- First/last mile connections to transit: Certain bus or light rail trips are not competitive with car travel because the first mile to transit (e.g. home to bus stop) or the last mile from transit (e.g. bus to office) is too time-consuming. Bike share could provide bicycles near offices, transit stops, and homes (where appropriate) which can reduce the first/last mile trip time to 5 or 10 minutes. This will make transit time competitive with a car for certain trips thereby improving travel choices.
What are other neighboring cities doing?
Seattle and Bothell have pilot programs currently in operation while Bellevue and Kirkland are investigating their own pilot programs to be implemented in the coming months. Redmond city staff have been working in cooperation with staff from some of these cities, although each will produce their own unique bike share program.
Seattle has implemented free-floating bike share: Seattle Bike share website
What about helmets?
King County has a helmet law which applies in Redmond. This helmet law also applies in Seattle. Seattle’s bike share permit requires the bike share companies to “have visible language that notifies the user that… helmets shall be worn while riding a bicycle in King County…”. Currently, none of the Seattle bike share vendors are providing helmets. Redmond can enforce the helmet law, but is not obligated to. We are considering how to address this in the permit conditions.
Did you know the Redmond police department offers adult and child helmets for $10? Learn more
If I see a bike that is parked wrong, on my property or needs maintenance, what do I do?
The bike share companies are responsible for the maintenance, relocation and all other aspects of the bicycles. Any complaint should be directly communicated to the appropriate bike share vendor using the company’s app or the phone number located on the bicycle. If it is an emergency, call 911.
How can I provide input on this project?
The City of Redmond is conducting a public questionnaire from April 18-May 9. A survey link will be provided shortly.
The City’s contact for this project is Buff Brown, Senior Transit Planner. Buff can be reached at bbrown@redmond.gov or 425-556-2870.
Other Resources
North American Bike Share Association: Dockless Bike share Regulation Preliminary Guidance – Jan 2018
Twelve Tone Consulting (Chicago): Regulation of Dockless Bikes – March 2018
Charlotte, NC – Bike share website and their Permit Requirements
Montgomery County, MD – Permit Language
Durham, NC – Ordinance to Establish Permit Procedure
www.limebike.com
www.spin.pm
Twelve Tone Consulting (Chicago): Regulation of Dockless Bikes – March 2018
Charlotte, NC – Bike share website and their Permit Requirements
Montgomery County, MD – Permit Language
Durham, NC – Ordinance to Establish Permit Procedure
www.limebike.com
www.spin.pm
This is very inflammatory title. Yes the bikes MIGHT cause clutter, but they will certainly reduce pollution compared to single driver cars.
ReplyDeleteI'm just expressing my opinion....though bluntly. Thank you for expressing yours.
ReplyDeleteI just gag at the thought of bike shares despite their value to the urban transportation. Have you seen the pictures of the discarded bikes in China - mounded into dumps the size of buildings?
In Seattle some are so angered they have been cutting the brake cable. Pretty sad.
Yes, inflammatory hype of the worst NIMBY kind. Geez Bob, how about a measured pro-con discussion.
ReplyDeleteAnd anecdotes are not data.
I think that a pilot study program should be allowed to determine whether a bike share program in a small town with many hills, such as Redmond, would be viable or popular. I'm personally dubious that many will use it, but the the stats may prove otherwise. With the build out of new light rail stations, I can certainly see a benefit of having more than just buses and cars servicing the stations. As a cyclist, I also think that more bike riders will help create more bike lanes on roads that need them - not every bike trip can be done solely using the trails.
ReplyDeleteMany residents in North Redmond, Ed. Hill and Grasslawn Park neighborhoods complain about poor parking at the new Downtown Park. I can see the transit station as a good landing location for Limes but the The City's Signature Downtown Park?
ReplyDeleteI was actually looking for a lime bike while walking the trail the other day. Wanted to give it a try on the way to marymoor. My main concern is not having a helmet when there are no dedicated bike lanes. I tried a lime bike in Seattle when I needed to get from one side of the city to the other and was grateful that there were bike lanes separated from the car lanes when I didn't have head protection. I like the idea of foldable helmets. The like bikes make me happy as long as there aren't too many of them.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Bob on this one.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to see these bikes just left in the most improper places all over, both in Seattle proper and around the greater Seattle area as well.
This is the last thing that we need here in Redmond. If there were docking stations where you picked up and then dropped off the bikes, that might be different. That would at least keep the bikes from being left in completely random places.
The docking-station model failed miserably in Seattle. It was not convenient enough for enough people to use it, so it was far too expensive--despite Seattle's much greater density and more potential users. Maybe docking stations could work when they become ubiquitous.
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