Help bring bike sharing to Toledo!

voted!!!!!

Every bike pictured on the site are girls bikes? I'm not riding no girls bike! Even in the burbs I'd get hazed.

Seriously though - I like the concept, will review further and check and vote if it sways me.

not girls bikes. unisex bikes. :)

file this right beside "beta tapes" in the good idea file.

seems to work "good" in boston, nyc, minneapolis, denver, dc, etc.....

We just got it down here for downtown workers to use on their lunch breaks and such. Seems to be a big hit. Could work in Toledo but a lot of work needs to go in to rebuilding he central business district.

So you agree it's a good idea because Betamax was a better technology than VHS. Consumers don't always choose the best.

Voted!

hmm...not sure about this. When I was in Minneapolis, the majority of bikes were just sitting there not being used. A relative who lives there says they're rarely used except in the summer months and then not so much. Weather plays a major role in the lack of usage.

Is this a private company that does the program or the government?

private. http://www.bcycle.com/howitworks.aspx

Voted. Often.

I don't see how anyone could be opposed to a private investment that comes from outside the city in an area that is arguably infrastructure. If they run the numbers, and think their business model will work here, maybe it will happen. It would probably get the city to think more bike-centric when planning improvements.

As long as they don't receive a huge number of incentives from our local government, I say why not? Even if they only give it a shot for a couple of years (assuming they can't make it work here), they will be leasing local land, likely be employing a few locals, and paying some taxes. They would be serving a market that is severely under serviced, and give TARTA a little reason to improve their numbers/services.

Here is a starter list at where I think they should go:
-5/3 Field/Huntington Center
-The Docks
-Adams street near the Attic
-The Art Museum

Following that maybe they could expand to bigger grocers and high density residential areas in the burbs.

Lastly, do I have to remind anyone about this?

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/04/04/Lucas-County-again-ranked-72nd-in-state.html

"Every bike pictured on the site are girls bikes? I'm not riding no girls bike! Even in the burbs I'd get hazed."

This is so cool it's worth looking dorky, ur um, dorkier!

C'mon, people. Stop hating on this idea. Don't like it? Then keep driving your cars. Like it? Then go for it. Absolutely no harm can come from trying this (aside from whatever "harm" may arise from jarring people from the rut of reacting to any new idea with the "we've never done this, it'll never work here" response).

Smile, everyone! A new idea won't bite!

From what I see, the majority here seems to favor the idea.

Don't like it? Then keep driving your cars.

I wouldn't use the service, because I already have my own bike to ride on occasions where I'd be inclined to ride a bike. (And if my bike wasn't with me, then I'd probably choose walking vs. paying for a rental.)

However, if a private enterprise wants to try the idea without taxpayer funding, I have no objection to that.

We were in 56th place when I voted. Somehow Fargo is in first place - how often could they possibly use this in Fargo? 4, maybe 5 months out of the year?

...how often could they possibly use this in Fargo?

No doubt the Dakotas get extreme weather. Most people think "cold", but I went driving & camping through the Plains and the West one July and it was 105 degrees at our campground outside of Rapid city. You gotta be a hardy soul to live there...-30 in the winter and 105 in the summer!

But back on the biking point: it really depends upon motivation. Apparently, the folks there don't see the weather as a barrier to biking, whereas many times here in Toledo people bitch if they can't find a parking spot within 75 feet of the front door of a place.

My wife lived for a time in Copenhagen, Denmark, and they had a similar program (although theirs is a government operation). I visited in October and February and we rode the bikes each time. As long as you dress for it, it's not a big deal...granted biking is a much bigger part of the culture there than here.

If a private company is sticking its neck out to try and get Toledoans off their collective fat asses and see their city up close (instead of through a car window), let 'em try. I hope they succeed.

Just my .02...

Maybe golf cart sharing would be a better idea for Toledo

"Every bike pictured on the site are girls bikes? I'm not riding no girls bike! Even in the burbs I'd get hazed."

Did you ever wonder why boys bikes had that bar there where it provides the "opportunity" to strike a very sensitive portion of the male anatomy?
Seems like it should be the other way around. :P

I totally agree with the positivity around this. Even if you don't intend to use it, why not support it for those who will? It adds to the urban activity in our downtown, and who could be against that? And anyone who already has a bike still has a vested interest in this - the more biking-oriented things that get supported by Toledo, the more bike friendly the city will become, thus benefiting anyone who has an interest in biking!

Also, historymike is right. There doesn't seem to be a voting limit. I just keep bouncing back and forth between the "go" prompts, and that number just keeps climbing!

Voted 15 times myself!

Heh - I singlehandedly (singleclickedly?) moved Toledo from 81st to 59th earlier.

OK: me and (ahem) a bunch of my pals just voted Toledo up to #39. C'mon, people: #1...#1...#1...

For the record, I'm not opposed to this, but I wonder about it. Wondering is not the same as opposing.

I wonder how many people will actually use it. It seems to be geared to locations where you have a high population of individuals living/working in a compact area (primarily the downtown portion of a city). That doesn't seem to fit Toledo.

Because of that aspect, originally I wondered about the profitability of such a venture in our climate. But since I've learned it's a private venture and not a government one, I'm no longer concerned about that.

And despite my wondering, I did vote.

Even from a purely recreational point of view, I was thinking it would be fun to come Downtown, grab a couple of bikes and cruise the attractions.

Do we have to prove that the 2007 Robert Russ Pedal Boats in the Maumee Epiphany was a huge hit before they let us have bike sharing? I hope not.

It's hovering at 39... still putting out the call for votes from friends/facebook.

1. 37! we

ack. let me try that again...

37! weeeeeee

^^^^Pure adrenalin!^^

34....do you believe?

30!!!!!!!!!!

29!!!!!

You know (true story) as I boosted Toledo to number 27 the song "Lithium" by Nirvana came on the iPod. Kind of surreal.

19 !!!!???

This is crayzy

Fargo is leading with 225,000 votes. Toledo has 3,346. Good luck guys!

^ Buzzkiller. :-)

By the way: up to #14 now.

Is this actually a "vote to win" contest, or just some sort of attention-getter to draw views to their website/concept?

(Just thinking that a private business would likely still research the business opportunity in the area and make decisions accordingly, rather than going by votes on a website that allows people to vote multiple times in a row? Unless there was a specific contest involved.)

Interesting marketing and feasibility strat!

Certainly if nothing else, a lot of votes might get a city considered that wouldn't otherwise have been looked at.

BTW - like maggie, I just had some questions and was wondering about the concept. Not being negative.

I'm not anti-biking...in fact, once the kids are out of school for the summer, I plan to commute by bike downtown for work at least 2 days a week from Sylvania.

(Have to wait until school is out due to the timing - I'd never be able to get the kids off to school and still have enough time to ride my bike to work.)

<deadpan alert>

Why, every vote counts, mom2! Each and every vote is tabulated by a team of hardworking elves (on loan from the North Pole in the off-season). In fact, as we speak I am sure B-Cycle execs are sitting around the board room, smoking expensive cigars and marvelling at the rapid climb Toledo is making in the rankings.

13th place now. Go Toledo: keep clicking!

12th place!

This goes a lot faster once you realize you don't even have to go back and forth between the two "go"s. Just keep clicking the one next to the ZIP code.

This goes a lot faster once you realize you don't even have to go back and forth between the two "go"s. Just keep clicking the one next to the ZIP code.

and you know why i posted twice right?

Because it's twice as fast?

we're number 10!!!!!!!!

We may not win, but I got to be vote number 12,000; yes, it has been a rather dull day otherwise when this is a highlight:

Twelve thousand, I should add, is OVER 9000!!! (/b/tards will get this)

Number 9....nuber 9...number 9.... (White Album reference that I have been waiting an hour to post)

ARG! Waited that long and typo-ed it.

26k clicks would put us in 5th place.

Fun fact - according to Wikipedia, Fargo's current as of 2010 was 105,549. The entire metropolitan population totals 208,777. They currently have over 225,000 clicks. Somebody there loves to click.

insert "double-clicking the mouse" joke here

July 7, 2011 story Fargo’s #1 position in B-Cycle online competition brings bike share demonstration to town

How much does B-cycle cost?

September 2011 YouTube video 'B-Cycle' visits Fargo

Fifth place is secure, and Toledo is making inroads on the top four cities. Toledo just crossed the 100,000 click mark, and almost all of those came in one day.

Keep clicking, clickaholics!

remember when we had only 3,000 or so? the good old days.

Cleveland (#3): you are about to get passed up. Prepare yourselves for the Toledo Express.

Sweet! Toledo is now #3!!!!

Toledo is now (10:38pm) #2 with 196,490 votes. Fargo is #1 with 225,490!

#2!!!

1. Fargo - 225,490
2. Toledo - 196,187

Oops. We checked for updates at the same time.

No problem,

I've been clicking away while watching TV. Started clicking when it was in the 148's. If anyone else is clicking away, you have to do a refresh (or browse a different website) every once in a while to see numbers jump up significantly, seems like the server is having a hard time keeping up without refreshing, but each click (even fast clicking) IS being counted.

This is just another reminder of how effing awesome pro-Toledo people are.

The naysayers can suck it. We may or may not get the bike share, but damn we love the idea and have let it known.

Fargo will be eating our dust before too long...

yessssssss

As of 2:57am Toledo is officially #1 with 225,582, and it will take the website another 30 minutes to process the uncounted clicks.

I quit clicking at 3am, waiting for it to catch up, I checked again at 3:30am, and we are up to 228,749 Fargo still at 225,490. They must be lacking an insomniac.

This, friends, is pretty cool:

Nice work kids, now go outside and play!

Do NOT enjoy the nice spring weather because that kind of complacency led to Fargo being overtaken. Fargo had been #1 since last July, but in only two or three days, Toledo assumed the top perch. The goal should now be one million votes.

Just voted & it still shows Toledo is # 1 - Woo Hoo !!!

Where are all of you at election time?

I'm pretty sure they don't let you use auto-clickers at the polls.

I'm pretty sure they don't let you use auto-clickers at the polls.

You wonder...considering who gets elected in this town.

Congratulations on this grass-roots effort. Go for the million!

Well between 3:53pm on Thursday and 7:41am on Saturday, we jumped from 12,000 to 250,000... so a million should only take us until, what, the end of the week??

We can't stop at a million. It's a billion we must aim for.

If we can have more clicks than there are humans on earth, will that get us some bikes?

It can't hurt!!!

Toledo is still #1 at 295,166.

Well, this will surely get me some flack - but - No!!Way!! First get bicycle lanes, then get bicycles. I hate getting stuck behind some dude in spandex with a little mirror clapmed to the side of his head when passing him might mean pushing him to the rutted and unsafe berm. I disdane all bicyclists who tie up traffic.

Well before people jump up and down on holland's head, let's just lay out the plain fact that a lot of the intense "Lance Armstrong-wannabees" with their spandex and aero helmets and $3-5,000 bikes are also some of the biggest assholes and road-rulebreakers around. And I say this as a fairly avid casual biker myself.

Can you ride 2-3 abreast down a road? No, but they often do because their conversation is more important than automobile traffic. Apparently to these twerps, "share the road" means "we'll just do whatever we want and if you get pissed, too bad." Ride single file all the time, idiots...

Can you run a red light on a bike? No, but they often do because they're "in training" and who's going to stop them?

What can happen if you run a red light, even on a bicycle? Here's a recent example:

Elderly Pedestrian Killed by Bicyclist in Downtown Honolulu

...and file this story under "Bicyclist Douchebag Extreme"...

Cyclist Who Killed Pedestrian Allegedly Eulogized His Helmet

A San Francisco cyclist who struck a 71-year-old pedestrian -- who later died from his injuries -- may have typed himself into even more trouble. Chris Bucchere allegedly wrote a same-day post on the Mission Cycling AM Riders forum in which he admitted to "[plowing] through the crowded crosswalk." Then, in a move that seems both brainless and heartless, Bucchere dedicated the post to his helmet. "She died in heroic fashion today," he wrote. "May she die knowing that because she committed the ultimate sacrifice, her rider can live on."

Should you dart in and out of traffic lanes on a bicycle (or move from the bike lane and ride UP the center of traffic on a busy road? Not illegal, but not the smartest thing in the world either. Freaks me out.

Please note that I love bikes and biking in general. What we are going for here with this opportunity, I think, are more casual riders who want to have fun, not these spandexed douches who wanna "be like Lance" (complete with one testicle). Someone thinks there is a market for this bicycle service and I would at least like to see if it is correct--since its not taxpayer funded.

"First get bicycle lanes, then get bicycles."

I agree.

Toledo needs bike lanes and not just bike paths. But I guess we're not that kind of city. You can tell by all the major road construction projects that were completed on Toledo streets over the past 5 to 10 years. How many miles of bike lanes were added? My guess is zero. Does a lot of government red tape exist when attempting to add a bike lane? A bunch of committees and studies are probably required.

Where are the bike lanes in Toledo? I think a bike lane exists on some road south of Alexis near the race track. Outside Toledo, a bike lane exists along Starr Ave in Oregon and along Sylvania Ave near McCord in Sylvania. Minuscule.

History of the Red Bike Project

The Red Bike Project has been sustainable and successful since its launch on May 1st, 1996. Budget Bicycle Center will continue to manage and maintain the Red Bike Project for years to come. Before Red Bikes go out for the season each one is tuned-up and thoroughly checked over for safety (reflectors and tightness, etc.) and then test ridden. (Budget Bicycle Center fixes all things wrong with the bicycles free of charge, year round.)

When I lived in Mad City I met the folks at Budget Bike and learned about the red bike project. They've got several other projects that are pretty cool and involve community service.

You can ride your bike just about anywhere you'd like to go in Mad City with very few exceptions. The place is bicycle friendly and they publish maps of bike paths and common bike routes. All that said, you still have to be careful. I got hit and knocked off my bike by some lady who failed to look where she was going. Another time I came within an ace of being "doored" - you'll be riding past a line of parked cars on the street and some moron opens his door right in front of you. Your bike stops at the door; you sail right on over.

I'd like to see Sylvania become bicycle friendly, but it isn't likely to happen. It sure won't happen in Toledo.

http://www.good.is/post/if-you-build-bike-lanes-they-will-ride/

"Science has verified something that may appear obvious at first glance: The direct connection between the presence of bike lanes and the number of bike commuters. The more infrastructure exists to encourage biking, the more people bike—and the more society reaps the public health, energy, and lifestyle benefits that come with an increasing share of people-powered transportation."

Still going strong, Toledo is still #1. Been trying to vote a little each day.