March 11, 2009
Bike Share Program in... Boston?
Boston Mayor Tom Menino and Boston 'bike czar' Nicole Freedman announced earlier this week that they planning to introduce a bike sharing program in Boston for 2010. The city is hoping to put up to 1,500 bicycles on the streets at 150 bike stations that consumers can use simply by swiping a card.
I certainly applaud this ambitious effort. And I sincerely hope that they can overcome the obvious hurdles they face:
1) Funding - with the need for financial support from a cash strapped city in the middle of a economic disaster, getting city approval will be tough.
2) Infrastructure - Boston is a beautiful city and has some newly redone parks, but most of the city is not safely navicable by bike by a novice (someone likely to rent); the cost to build out safe riding routes and lanes throughout the city will likely dwarf the cost of the program
3) Standardization - Boston is trying to set a standard for all neighboring cities and towns when it comes to operations, which may cause heartache for some communities.
4) Timing - the city just issued the RFP this week, so it seems hard to believe that they can evaluate, negotiate, select, implement, test and roll-out this ambitious plan in less than 12 months.
Note that I only share these concerns because I would so much like to see Boston implement this. How I would enjoy exploring the city by bike. So my hopes rest in the capable hands of Mayor Menino and Nicole. If there is anything we can do to help, let us know...
For more information, read the article here http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/03/boston_takes_fi.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed2
3 Comments
Hi, Patrick.
Has Dynamic ever looked into incorporating the NuVinci continuously variable planetary drive hub into its shaft-drive bicycles? Are there significant hurdles at marrying the two technologies that make it impractical, or does the NuVinci product give up too much in performance to make it worthwhile?
We have looked into the NuVinci hub. From a technical standpoint, the NuVinci has a much larger cassette body than the Shimano hubs, so putting our current hub gear would be impossible. To redesign the hub gear would not be difficult, hosever this would mean the redesign of the matching rear transmission gear, which would be a big deal - including a whole new rear gearbox, new molds, etc. From a functionality standpoint, I think the Shimano hubs offer a better value currently. Although the NuVinci hubs offer a bit wider gear range, they are heavier and more expensive than the Shimano. We will continue to consider the NuVinci, but as of this point, we are sticking with the value, performance and brand reputation of the Shimano hubs.
bike should look dynamic to make its purchase increase and people like the quality along with look.
thanks
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