Title
Bike Share Program Update (B)
The City Commission provided one-time funding for FY16 for a bike share pilot program. Staff identified a vendor and anticipates a program launch by May 2016. **ESTIMATED PRESENTATION 10 MINUTES**
Explanation
This item is one of several related to bicycles that was referred to the Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Public Works (RCAPW) Committee for review and consideration. Bike share, specifically, has been discussed in the January and February RCAPW meetings. A representative from Zagster, the vendor chosen for this pilot program, will make a presentation on how his company works.
The ultimate goal of public bike sharing is to expand and integrate cycling into transportation systems, so that it can more readily become a daily transportation mode (for commuting, personal trips, and recreation). The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) indicates that “bike share systems complement existing transit, make one-way bike trips possible, and reduce barriers to riding such as bike ownership, storage, maintenance and concerns about theft”. According to a 2012 report from the Mineta Transportation Institute, bike sharing benefits include: increased mobility; cost savings from modal shifts; lower implementation and operational costs when compared to other transportation demand management strategies such as shuttle services; reduced traffic congestion; reduced fuel use; potential for increased use of public transit and alternative modes (e.g., rail, buses, taxis, car sharing, ride sharing); increased health benefits; and greater environmental awareness.
Installation of a bike share program advances the City Commission’s Strategic Inititative 5.1 that seeks to promote an integrated, safe and accessible transportation system. The City Commission allocated funding for a pilot program implementation in FY16. Zagster was selected as the vendor to provide bike share services to Gainesville. The pilot program wil...
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