Velib-like bicycle rental kiosks under construction in Dublin

sidewaysbike

I noticed that the Velib like bicycle rental kiosks are being constructed in Dublin


Took these pictures today.

Exchequer St.






Nassau St.

Victor

Also Grantham Street and Earlsfort Terrance at the NCH.

sdanseo

Looking forward to these, hear the first 30mins may be free so might save me a long walk twice a day - any near abbey street at all?

Aard

Will they be covered by the free travel pass?

thebouldwhacker

OP, you should post this in the cycling forum too...

white apples

Looking at the map of locations here it seems to me like they're all concentrated around a very small area....like you'd hardly be bothered cycling that distance. They should put some out further in Dublin 8, 7, 3 & 4 and I'd say way more people would use them.

csd

white apples wrote: »

Looking at the map of locations here it seems to me like they're all concentrated around a very small area....like you'd hardly be bothered cycling that distance. They should put some out further in Dublin 8, 7, 3 & 4 and I'd say way more people would use them.

I have to agree with this. Not only are the stands all very concentrated, there are none at Heuston, which strikes me as an obvious candidate for a stand, or anywhere west of Smithfield.

I challenge anyone to find anything about this scheme on the Dublin City Council website: the main page, Roads & Traffic, and Recreation don't even mention the word bike. Why do we have to rely on the AA (a motoring organisation!) to find out about the scheme and locations of bike stands? Is there anything official about this scheme online anywhere else?

I've used the scheme in Paris and Lyon, and it's great there. However the small number of stands and limited number of bikes here in Dublin make me worry that it's doomed to fail here. Which would be a pity, because it's genuinely useful service.

/csd

loyatemu

its launching with only 450 bikes - you'd need that many at Heuston alone if they were putting a stand there. Supposedly if its a success it may be expanded.

No sign of construction at the Custom House Quay\Georges Dock location as yet...

Metrobest

Barcelona launched with 1,000 bikes across 25 stands. So Dubln's 40 stands/450 bikes doesn't seem too bad given the population differentials. It looks like the scheme will be a victim of its own success, so it will have to expand.

It's probably best that the Council keep it very low key in the beginning. No full page ads in the Irish Times. The bikes will advertise themselves.

The target for the scheme is primarily short hops around the city to encourage a quick turnaround of bikes. I'm imagining the route from St Stephen's Green to Parnell Sqaure being very popular and vice versa.

dereko1969

Heuston is a must for this project, can't believe it's not included.

csd

Metrobest wrote: »

It's probably best that the Council keep it very low key in the beginning. No full page ads in the Irish Times. The bikes will advertise themselves.

There's low-key and there's practically invisible! There's no excuse for there being no mention of it on the DCC website. The scheme is, after all, supposedly launching next month. There isn't even a map of the bike stand locations available unless you manage to find the AA page...

Very poor!

/csd

ad hoc

Launching in 4 months according to the official website.

http://www.dublinbikes.ie/misc/construction.html

csd

ad hoc wrote: »

Launching in 4 months according to the official website.

http://www.dublinbikes.ie/misc/construction.html

So it has been delayed then The original launch I'd heard was June, but who knows -- everything about this project seems to be shrouded in secrecy!

AA website wrote:

Ground works on the installation of the bike stations will begin in Spring 2009 and the bike scheme will be fully operational by Summer 2009.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

DCC_Cycling (Elaine)

Hi all,

We're working on a new cycling web site for Dublin City at the moment but thought this information may be valuable to pop up as the new site won't be live for 2-3 weeks. When it is we'll post the address here too.

http://www.dublinbikes.ie is JCDecaux's web site specifically for the City Bikes scheme itself.

---

CityBikes scheme
The scheme will provide 40 public bike stations around the city with 450 bikes available for general public use! The network of stations will extend from the Mater Hospital in the north to the Grand Canal in the south and from Smithfield in the west to the IFSC and North Docklands in the east.



City-goers will be able to collect a bike from any station and return it to any station on the network e.g. you could collect a bike from a station on Talbot Street and return it to a station at Stephens Green or vice versa. The cost of installation, management and maintenance of the bikes and their stations (including replacing and repairing the bikes) will be covered by JC Decaux. JC Decaux have agreed to provide the bikes as part of an Outdoor Advertising and public Amenities contract with Dublin City Council.

The dublinbikes scheme will operate between 5am and 12.30am, 7 days a week. An automated card machine will be located at each station where users can either use a smartcard (members) or a credit card (non-members) to take out a bike. Bikers who wish to sign up for a smartcard will pay an annual subscription fee of just €10, while occasional dublinbike users may prefer to pay a small charge (€2 for 3 days) for the use of the bikes. Once removed from any station, the bikes can be used for up to 30 minutes free of charge, with a relatively low charge per hour of rental thereafter (e.g. 0-30mins = free, 30-60mins = €0.50, 60-90mins = €1, etc). The bikes cannot be taken out using cash.

Locations of the ‘dublinbike’ stations:

You can see a mockup here city_bikes_customs_house.jpg

1. Chatham Street
2. Blessington Street
3. Bolton Street
4. Greek Street
5. Charlemont Place
6. Christchurch Place
7. High Street
8. Custom House Quay
9. Exchequer Street
10. Dame Street
11. Earlsfort Terrace
12. Eccles Street
13. Fitzwilliam Square West
14. Fownes Street Upper
15. Hardwiche Street
16. Georges Quay
17. Golden Lane
18. Grantham Street
19. Herbert Place
20. James Street East
21. Leinster Street South
22. Townsend Street
23. Custom House
24. Cathal Brugha Street
25. Merrion Square East
26. Merrion Square West
27. Molesworth Street
28. Mountjoy Square West
29. Ormond Quay Upper
30. Parnell Square North
31. Parnell Street
32. Pearse Street
33. Princes Street North/ O’ Connell Street
34. Portobello Harbour
35. Smithfield
36. St. Stephens Green East
37. St. Stephens Green South
38. Talbot Street
39. Wilton Terrace
40. Jervis Street


FAQs

Do I have to return my bike to the same station I got it from?
No. The bikes can be taken from/returned to any station on the network.

Can I pay by cash?
Unfortunately no. The cards offer security so that if a situation arises whereby a user does not return their bike after use they will be charged. Cash does not offer the same security and could lead to a small percentage of users abusing the scheme.

How much does the scheme cost?
10 euro per year for membership or 2 euro for 3 days. It is then free to use the bikes for the first half hour, 0.50 euro for the next half hour(i.e. 0.50 euro for an hour), 1 euro from 60-90 mins(i.e. 1.50 euro for an hour and a half), and 2 euro from 90-120 mins(i.e. 3.50 euro for 2 hours)

Why is it more expensive for longer durations?
We wish to encourage short-term use of the bikes so that there will be more bikes available to as many people as possible. In other cities there has been a high turnover of bike usage e.g each bike in the velib scheme (in Paris) is used on average 8 times a day.

What’s to stop somebody else taking a bike using my details while I’m still at the ticket machine?
Each bike stand will be numbered. Once you have selected your bike there will be a time delay before the bike is released from its stand. This will give you a chance to walk from the ticket machine to the bike before the bike is unlocked.

Why is there no bike station at Heuston Station?
In order for the scheme to work, the bike stations must be ideally no further than 300m apart. This will ensure that in the unlikely event of a bike station being full, users will not have far to travel to the next nearest station. Heuston station serves many commuters and therefore it is likely many users would arrive at the station at approximately the same time (evening rush hour peak) on bikes taken out from a number of different stations. If the bike station at Heuston were full and there wasn’t a sufficient number of bike stations nearby to accommodate the user, users would be likely to miss their train. This would put many people off using the service.

It is predicted that the usage of the service at Heuston would be such that a high concentration of stations would be required in the vicinity and furthermore on the approach from the city centre (every 300m) for the scheme to work effectively. Given that there are 450 bikes overall, this would spread the scheme quite finely, with core areas in the city centre suffering as a result.

If the scheme proves to be a success, it is likely the scheme will be extended to a ‘phase 2’ which will include Heuston station and other areas outside the city centre core.

What should I do if I get a puncture en route?
Don’t worry - punctures happen from general wear and tear and you won’t be charged if your bike gets a puncture. Just drop the bike back to the nearest station. A number of service vehicles will travel to and from each station regularly with staff carrying out general repairs on the bikes.



Elaine

kona

DCC_Cycling (Elaine) wrote: »

Hi all,

We're working on a new cycling web site for Dublin City at the moment but thought this information may be valuable to pop up as the new site won't be live for 2-3 weeks. When it is we'll post the address here too.

http://www.dublinbikes.ie is JCDecaux's web site specifically for the City Bikes scheme itself.

---

CityBikes scheme
The scheme will provide 40 public bike stations around the city with 450 bikes available for general public use! The network of stations will extend from the Mater Hospital in the north to the Grand Canal in the south and from Smithfield in the west to the IFSC and North Docklands in the east.



City-goers will be able to collect a bike from any station and return it to any station on the network e.g. you could collect a bike from a station on Talbot Street and return it to a station at Stephens Green or vice versa. The cost of installation, management and maintenance of the bikes and their stations (including replacing and repairing the bikes) will be covered by JC Decaux. JC Decaux have agreed to provide the bikes as part of an Outdoor Advertising and public Amenities contract with Dublin City Council.

The dublinbikes scheme will operate between 5am and 12.30am, 7 days a week. An automated card machine will be located at each station where users can either use a smartcard (members) or a credit card (non-members) to take out a bike. Bikers who wish to sign up for a smartcard will pay an annual subscription fee of just €10, while occasional dublinbike users may prefer to pay a small charge (€2 for 3 days) for the use of the bikes. Once removed from any station, the bikes can be used for up to 30 minutes free of charge, with a relatively low charge per hour of rental thereafter (e.g. 0-30mins = free, 30-60mins = €0.50, 60-90mins = €1, etc). The bikes cannot be taken out using cash.

Locations of the ‘dublinbike’ stations:

You can see a mockup here city_bikes_customs_house.jpg

1. Chatham Street
2. Blessington Street
3. Bolton Street
4. Greek Street
5. Charlemont Place
6. Christchurch Place
7. High Street
8. Custom House Quay
9. Exchequer Street
10. Dame Street
11. Earlsfort Terrace
12. Eccles Street
13. Fitzwilliam Square West
14. Fownes Street Upper
15. Hardwiche Street
16. Georges Quay
17. Golden Lane
18. Grantham Street
19. Herbert Place
20. James Street East
21. Leinster Street South
22. Townsend Street
23. Custom House
24. Cathal Brugha Street
25. Merrion Square East
26. Merrion Square West
27. Molesworth Street
28. Mountjoy Square West
29. Ormond Quay Upper
30. Parnell Square North
31. Parnell Street
32. Pearse Street
33. Princes Street North/ O’ Connell Street
34. Portobello Harbour
35. Smithfield
36. St. Stephens Green East
37. St. Stephens Green South
38. Talbot Street
39. Wilton Terrace
40. Jervis Street


FAQs

Do I have to return my bike to the same station I got it from?
No. The bikes can be taken from/returned to any station on the network.

Can I pay by cash?
Unfortunately no. The cards offer security so that if a situation arises whereby a user does not return their bike after use they will be charged. Cash does not offer the same security and could lead to a small percentage of users abusing the scheme.

How much does the scheme cost?
10 euro per year for membership or 2 euro for 3 days. It is then free to use the bikes for the first half hour, 0.50 euro for the next half hour(i.e. 0.50 euro for an hour), 1 euro from 60-90 mins(i.e. 1.50 euro for an hour and a half), and 2 euro from 90-120 mins(i.e. 3.50 euro for 2 hours)

Why is it more expensive for longer durations?
We wish to encourage short-term use of the bikes so that there will be more bikes available to as many people as possible. In other cities there has been a high turnover of bike usage e.g each bike in the velib scheme (in Paris) is used on average 8 times a day.

What’s to stop somebody else taking a bike using my details while I’m still at the ticket machine?
Each bike stand will be numbered. Once you have selected your bike there will be a time delay before the bike is released from its stand. This will give you a chance to walk from the ticket machine to the bike before the bike is unlocked.

Why is there no bike station at Heuston Station?
In order for the scheme to work, the bike stations must be ideally no further than 300m apart. This will ensure that in the unlikely event of a bike station being full, users will not have far to travel to the next nearest station. Heuston station serves many commuters and therefore it is likely many users would arrive at the station at approximately the same time (evening rush hour peak) on bikes taken out from a number of different stations. If the bike station at Heuston were full and there wasn’t a sufficient number of bike stations nearby to accommodate the user, users would be likely to miss their train. This would put many people off using the service.

It is predicted that the usage of the service at Heuston would be such that a high concentration of stations would be required in the vicinity and furthermore on the approach from the city centre (every 300m) for the scheme to work effectively. Given that there are 450 bikes overall, this would spread the scheme quite finely, with core areas in the city centre suffering as a result.

If the scheme proves to be a success, it is likely the scheme will be extended to a ‘phase 2’ which will include Heuston station and other areas outside the city centre core.

What should I do if I get a puncture en route?
Don’t worry - punctures happen from general wear and tear and you won’t be charged if your bike gets a puncture. Just drop the bike back to the nearest station. A number of service vehicles will travel to and from each station regularly with staff carrying out general repairs on the bikes.



Elaine

When will we see these infamous bikes? Do you not feel that you have been ripped off by Jcdecaux??? I mean We have these eyesores popping up everywhere obstructing views and causing blindspots to traffic.

Also why is the majority of these on the Northside of the city????

Can you please post this information in the cycling forum?

Are the peole who maintain the bikes trained mechanics or just ordinary joes?

zevluv

haha, you idiots irish will just "kick the bejesus" out of the bikes every weekend. doomed to failure. Looking forward to seeing this venture crash and burn. more tax euros flushed down the toilet by the incompedent government. Why not spend the money on developing further the luas? It still makes me laugh that the two lines still dont intersect at any point (the whole thing was a stop-gap electioneering measure i think). But im getting off the point... then, what will you have?; a frankly terrible (non integrated!!!) bus, train and tram service. And now they want to introduce this half-thought bicyclye scheme (perfect word for this no? "scheme"). Build some cycle lanes first no? i can picture the idiots from dublin council on their "fact finding" trip to barcelona with handkerchiefs draped on their peeling heads, bellies protruding disgustingly etc. "Well jaysus kevin, i'd say it'll be grand!" "your not wrong mick. now wheres the irish pub til we have a pint"

oh lol. if i wasnt paying taxes here I would find it twice as funny.

Cathaoirleach

zevluv wrote: »

haha, you idiots irish

'Ýou Irish idiots', you mean.. :rolleyes:

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

MadsL

Elaine, perhaps you might shed some light on when the Stage 3 Road Safety Audit will be done on the advertising signs that were permitted to finance this bike scheme? They have now been in place for 18 months and no audit has been conducted.

There was a planning condition that all the signs would be subject to a Stage 3 Road Safety Audit within one month of erection and any failures removed, the City Manager has been asked twice by Councillors via motion to conduct an independent safety audit of the signs, and to date only a paltry internal report with a spreadsheet of the locations and safety concerns has been produced.

In the meantime the some of the signs are still in dangerous positions and there is no sign of any enforcement of the planning conditions being addressed.

Here's an example on Mercer Street that not only breaches the requirement for 1.8m clear footpath space to allow disability and double-buggy free passage, but also dangerously blocks the view of pedestrians crossing the road.

Carawaystick

Hi Elaine,
Why does JCDecaux's website have the DCC logo on it? [http://www.dublinbikes.ie/misc/construction.html]
Can any private person set up a website and use this logo? or are there conditions attached?


When you say North Docklands, do you mean the Point, or actually in dublin port? or somewhere like the Docklands train station. Bearing in mind our central government ministers have described the docklands train station as being in the city centre, if there are no bike stations east of here, this isn't really much use.

Will the smartcard be part of the integrated ticketing scheme the rpa are organising? If not, why not.

When you say the scheme operates til half past midnight, does that mean a bike can be taken until then or it needs to be returned by then?

Cookie_Monster

DCC_Cycling (Elaine) wrote: »

Can I pay by cash?
Unfortunately no. The cards offer security so that if a situation arises whereby a user does not return their bike after use they will be charged. Cash does not offer the same security and could lead to a small percentage of users abusing the scheme.

Do you not legally have to accept cash? It is, after all, the only legal tender apart from stamps.

What about people who do not have debit/credit cards?

Metrobest

zevluv wrote: »

haha, you idiots irish will just "kick the bejesus" out of the bikes every weekend. doomed to failure. Looking forward to seeing this venture crash and burn. more tax euros flushed down the toilet by the incompedent government. Why not spend the money on developing further the luas? It still makes me laugh that the two lines still dont intersect at any point (the whole thing was a stop-gap electioneering measure i think). But im getting off the point... then, what will you have?; a frankly terrible (non integrated!!!) bus, train and tram service. And now they want to introduce this half-thought bicyclye scheme (perfect word for this no? "scheme"). Build some cycle lanes first no? i can picture the idiots from dublin council on their "fact finding" trip to barcelona with handkerchiefs draped on their peeling heads, bellies protruding disgustingly etc. "Well jaysus kevin, i'd say it'll be grand!" "your not wrong mick. now wheres the irish pub til we have a pint"

oh lol. if i wasnt paying taxes here I would find it twice as funny.

Why would you "look forward" to seeing the venture crash and burn?
Presumably you live and pay taxes in Ireland because it affords you a higher standard of living than whichever place you sprung from. You should really show a little more respect.

The luas is "terrible"? Tell that to the dozens of overseas transport professionals that have come to study its success in terms of design, passenger numbers and operational efficiencies.

"Build some cycle lanes first?" Have you cycled in Paris? Rome? Madrid? Barcelona? They're hardly much better than Dublin. In Barcelona's case the cycle lanes only started to improve after Bicing came in.

For once, this initiative is about Dublin City Council doing something that's generally positive for the citizens of the city. And all people - Irish and non Irish alike - can do is make snide remarks.

Qué pena.

Carawaystick

Metrobest wrote: »

For once, this initiative is about Dublin City Council doing something that's generally positive for the citizens of the city.

But as Elaine clearly states, DCC are not doing anything, the advertising company are. DCC aren't even complying with the law as far as we can see, regarding the road safety audit. A month has long since passed the ads were put up.

antoinolachtnai

Surely it is JC Decaux's job to do the road safety audit if it is a condition of planning? Not DCC?

If as you say, Jean Charles and Jean Claude haven't complied with a condition of planning permission, then have you made a complaint to the DCC planning department. Complaints about planning cannot be set aside or dealt with on a discretionary basis. They must be enforced.

Carawaystick

What entity cannot set aside or deal with on a discretionary basis these complaints?? DCC. The manger hasn't responded to the councillors requests. I presume a minuted request at a council meeting should notify the people in enforcement.

antoinolachtnai

That would seem like an incorrect presumption to me. The complaint to the Council was oral. The representation has to be made in writing.

http://www.dublincity.ie/Planning/PlanningComplaints/DevelopmentComplaint/Pages/DevelopmentComplaint.aspx

Section 152 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 obliges the planning authority to take action on a written complaint.

MadsL

Complaints about planning cannot be set aside or dealt with on a discretionary basis. They must be enforced.

Technically correct.

The reality, slightly different....:rolleyes:

Cookie_Monster

MadSL, I know you were running quite a campaign to get rid of the illegal/dodgy one and last time I caught up with it you had some small success and a lot of frustration. Have you gotten any further recently?

mdebets

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Do you not legally have to accept cash? It is, after all, the only legal tender apart from stamps.

No, they don't. They could only accept cocunuts if they wanted to.
Legal tender is only applicable if you want to pay a debt.

Bee

Metrobest wrote: »

Why would you "look forward" to seeing the venture crash and burn?
Presumably you live and pay taxes in Ireland because it affords you a higher standard of living than whichever place you sprung from. You should really show a little more respect.

The luas is "terrible"? Tell that to the dozens of overseas transport professionals that have come to study its success in terms of design, passenger numbers and operational efficiencies.

Err he has a point, no joined up red and green line tracks and worst of all the amount of unpoliced junkies, drunks and assoicated bowsies is a disgrace, whats more its carrying capacity is a joke



"Build some cycle lanes first?" Have you cycled in Paris? Rome? Madrid? Barcelona? They're hardly much better than Dublin. In Barcelona's case the cycle lanes only started to improve after Bicing came in.

Actually they are much better than Dublin and in more Northern European cities the police have actually put manners on Cyclopaths and enforce the law unlike here
,

For once, this initiative is about Dublin City Council doing something that's generally positive for the citizens of the city. And all people - Irish and non Irish alike - can do is make snide remarks.

Really? It's a sleazy deal and it stinks, apart from the deal smelling to high heaven, (look into it yourself!) who is covering for bikes being stolen, in Paris it ended up with the tax payers having to pay for stolen and damaged bikes, never mind fishing them out od the Seine. Worse who is covering the cyclists for injury claims? Not JC Deaux. I reckon it will all fall asunder once the personal injury claims start rolling into DCC and us tax payers will be screwed by the DCC incompetent fools who railroaded it through in exchange for lethal advertising signs

Qué pena.

Wear a helmet !

walzer

I've used this scheme in Paris quite a bit and in general it's fantastic. However it remains to be seen how useful it is here on such a small scale.

A frequent problem in Paris is that when you arrive at a stand it's either empty or full. I found it particularly annoying when my half-hour was almost up on a bike, and I arrived at a stand which was full. You just have to cycle on and find another one. In Paris there are so many stands, with so many bikes, that it's not such a big a problem; in Dublin it could be different. You should at least take a map of the stands with you, so you can easily find the next one (although in Paris the machines do indicate where the nearest stands are).

Also, in Paris the bikes are available 24/7. It seems here in Dublin it will be only until 12:30am. Typical, they don't trust us after we come out of the pubs. They're probably right:rolleyes:

Bee

The bike scheme that the idiots in DCC imported from France is having major problems in Paris

The idiotic scheme is going to cost tax payers a fortune, for a sample of how bad the Paris scheme is doing check this out

Over here DCC is going to increase anti social behaviour when the usual cycle louts get their hands on the bikes, just wait until the personal injuries claims start flooding into DCC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7881079.stm

"Over half the original fleet of 15,000 specially made bicycles have disappeared, presumed stolen.

They have been used 42 million times since their introduction but vandalism and theft are taking their toll.

The company which runs the scheme, JCDecaux, says it can no longer afford to operate the city-wide network"

walzer

Bee wrote: »

The bike scheme that the idiots in DCC imported from France is having major problems in Paris

The idiotic scheme is going to cost tax payers a fortune, for a sample of how bad the Paris scheme is doing check this out

Over here DCC is going to increase anti social behaviour when the usual cycle louts get their hands on the bikes, just wait until the personal injuries claims start flooding into DCC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7881079.stm

"Over half the original fleet of 15,000 specially made bicycles have disappeared, presumed stolen.

They have been used 42 million times since their introduction but vandalism and theft are taking their toll.

The company which runs the scheme, JCDecaux, says it can no longer afford to operate the city-wide network"

Well you'd hardly expect a British news report to praise a French initiative would you?

From a users point of view it works excellently in Paris, both for tourists and natives. And if a bicycle that is available for use 24/7 has to be replaced after a year then so what? They're well made but not totally bulletproof.

There will always be maintenance and replacement costs. The operators in Paris go around re-distributing the bikes at night, along with pumping tyres, fixing punctures etc.

That news report was from last February; I've been back to Paris recently and the scheme has expanded further, beyond the peripherique. So they must be doing something right.

Even if it costs the taxpayer some money, is that such a big problem? Taxpayers pay for buses and trains too.

Metrobest

Just back from a week in Paris and used Velib quite a bit with a 7 day pass for 5 euros.

Seems that almost 1 in 2 bikes in Paris is damaged (flat trye, broken chain, etc) so for those who say vandalism is a problem only seen in Dublin, I beg to differ.

There is a problem with supply management. Trying to return a bike I found that three stands were full.

When I was trying to find a stand to drop off a bike at the Gare du Lyon train station, I experienced problems. The stand is hidden in a very hard-to-find location.

So it's not a perfect scheme. But it's a damn sight better than no scheme at all. And what I love most about it is that I never needed to take a taxi in Paris, day or night. You experience the city in a whole different way by bike.

Incidentally, because of all the hoo-ha about the advertising panels in Dublin, I paid more attention than normal to the JC Decaux "metropanels" which can be seen all over Paris. I saw them in historic squares, small streets and wide boulevards. The panels were slightly less of an eyesore than Dublin's - the panels on Rue du Rivoli for example were raised on fairly elegant stilts and a French flag hung proudly atop each one. Problem is, lining a street with Irish flags in the same style would cause political tensions.

tomred1

Just seen that they are putting on on the Custom House Quay, we're all the junkies conjurate.Not a good idea imo, they will ruin them surely.

walzer

Tomred I wouldn't agree. I walk past there regularly and sure there are often a few people drinking cans of beer (and maybe taking stronger stuff, although I've never seen it). But I can't see any reason they'd start vandalising bicycles.

Judging by some of the earlier comments, I think we're in danger of creating a problem with these bikes where there is none. Yes some of them will be vandalised, but they can be replaced. Other new stuff gets vandalised in Dublin but it usually settles down after the novelty has gone. The bikes will be a (welcome) addition to our public infrastructure and I think we shouldn't just dismiss them before they arrive, just because they might get vandalised.

lost marbles

i might just be a tad pessmistic here but i cant see the scheme working here .the bikes will end up vandalised and quite a few will end up in the canal or liffey .or even on overhead dart cables .
lets not forget the irish weather . it rains for eight months of the bloody year ,and who in their right mind would want to cycle down the quays in the office attire getting soaked and splashed from the cars and lorries .
ok so bring a change of clothes . who wants a wardrobe strapped to their backs and the hassle of changing every day .
as for the trade off of those advertising signs .some of them are REALLY a danger to the motorist with where they positioned .
its more like a cull of dublin pedestrains thats going to happen .

_Kaiser_

As others have said, I just cant see this scheme working out myself.

Aside from the vandalism and theft issues (both very real problems in our fair city), the roads around the city are just too dangerous to be cycling around, both because drivers don't look before they move, and because cyclists just have no heed for their own safety or the rules of the road - and now they want to let the general public loose on bikes?

Which brings me to my next point.. who exactly is going to use this? Students, kids and tourists maybe, but I can't see many women who are doing their shopping, or people in suits (as lost marbles said above, the weather is another problem), or the elderly using them?

Seems like this was just an easy way to get some dangerously positioned on-street advertising put up, rather than an honest and well thought out alternative to using the car/public transport/walking in the city.

markpb

lost marbles wrote: »

lets not forget the irish weather . it rains for eight months of the bloody year ,and who in their right mind would want to cycle down the quays in the office attire getting soaked and splashed from the cars and lorries . ok so bring a change of clothes . who wants a wardrobe strapped to their backs and the hassle of changing every day .

You're completely missing the point. Look at the map of bike rental locations - they're clustered in a very small area around the city centre. This scheme is not intended to get people to commute to work, they will mostly be used for short journeys and the pricing system will encourage that. If you live in the city centre and work in the suburbs, yes you *could* use these bikes but there's no guarantee any will be available and it would be very expensive.

They are only meant for people moving around the city centre. If it's raining, you'd get wet walking anyway or you could get a bus. If you're carrying heavy shopping, you wouldn't be able to carry them anyway so you'd get a bus.

loyatemu

exactly - they're for short journeys around the city centre - the scheme is very heavily used in Paris and I'm sure it will be here too, I certainly intend to sign up for it.

wrt safety, Dublin CC is not a particularly safe place for cycling but that is partly because there are relatively few cyclists. More cyclists will create more awareness and encourage the council to improve cycling facilities. Having said that, there will inevitably be accidents and injuries and media scare stories as a result, but overall its a positive scheme for the city.

markpb

loyatemu wrote: »

Having said that, there will inevitably be accidents and injuries and media scare stories as a result, but overall its a positive scheme for the city.

Drivers kept crashing in Luas trams when it started operations too. If lots of people use this scheme, drivers will learn to spot cyclists because they'll be more used to seeing them. Trams obviously have the advantage of coming out of top in any collision with cars but the point still stands.

mathie

lost marbles wrote: »

i might just be a tad pessmistic here but i cant see the scheme working here .the bikes will end up vandalised and quite a few will end up in the canal or liffey .or even on overhead dart cables .
lets not forget the irish weather . it rains for eight months of the bloody year ,and who in their right mind would want to cycle down the quays in the office attire getting soaked and splashed from the cars and lorries .
ok so bring a change of clothes . who wants a wardrobe strapped to their backs and the hassle of changing every day .
as for the trade off of those advertising signs .some of them are REALLY a danger to the motorist with where they positioned .
its more like a cull of dublin pedestrains thats going to happen .

"Dublin enjoys a maritime temperate climate characterised by mild winters, cool summers, and a lack of temperature extremes with moderate rainfall. However, contrary to popular belief, Dublin does not experience as high rainfall as the west of Ireland, which receives over twice that of the capital city. Dublin has fewer rainy days, on average, than London. The average maximum January temperature is 8 °C, the average maximum July temperature is 19 °C. The sunniest months, on average, are May and June. The wettest months, on average, is December with 76 mm of rain. The driest month is February, with 50 mm. The total average annual rainfall (and other forms of precipitation) is 732.7 mm, lower than Sydney, New York City and even Dallas."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin#Climate

lost marbles

markpb wrote: »

You're completely missing the point. Look at the map of bike rental locations - they're clustered in a very small area around the city centre. This scheme is not intended to get people to commute to work, they will mostly be used for short journeys and the pricing system will encourage that. If you live in the city centre and work in the suburbs, yes you *could* use these bikes but there's no guarantee any will be available and it would be very expensive.

They are only meant for people moving around the city centre. If it's raining, you'd get wet walking anyway or you could get a bus. If you're carrying heavy shopping, you wouldn't be able to carry them anyway so you'd get a bus.

the area i was coming from is people using the system to get across the city to their workplace .i.e train to huston [if a bike stand was erected there ] and a bike down to the ifsc . or visa versa .from ifsc to say rathmines . other than this commute across the city i think the rest are shoppers and tourist .i cant see the stag party from england making much use of them . on the weather front i think we have more rainy days than sunny ones in dublin .thats just my opinion ,but it seems contary to what another poster has said are the facts on the eastern seaboard climate .

markpb

lost marbles wrote: »

on the weather front i think we have more rainy days than sunny ones in dublin .thats just my opinion

This came up before but I can't find the thread. It's to do with perception. If it rains at all, people remember the day as being rainy even if they're not affected. It could rain all day long but as long as it's not raining when you're cycling, it doesn't matter.

Winters

I acknowledge that it is the summer and we have had some fantastic weather but this morning was the first morning that I got wet cycling to work in the last month.

Wasnt pleasant but one morning out of 15 or so since I started cycling to work isnt bad. Looks like it'll be dry going home.

Quint

They had these in Vienna and I thought they were great. One of the cool things you see abroad that you wonder why Dublin has never done it. Well they have, fair play and feck the doubters!
The ones in Vienna had solid tyres, less maintenance but less comfort. It also meant you wouldn't cycle far, they were very uncomfortable! Great for getting around the short distances. Vienna was a much easier city to cycle around than dublin though. You didn't have to cycle near as much through traffic. Haven't seen the map yet, but I hope there's plenty of kiosks in the Phoenix park

daymobrew

markpb wrote: »

This came up before but I can't find the thread. It's to do with perception. If it rains at all, people remember the day as being rainy even if they're not affected. It could rain all day long but as long as it's not raining when you're cycling, it doesn't matter.

Well put! This is the logic I keep putting to people who complain about the rain. Many days it's rained for hours outside my commute!

Quint wrote: »

Haven't seen the map yet, but I hope there's plenty of kiosks in the Phoenix park

None initially. There is a bicycle rental place at the Parkgate Street end of Phoenix Park. It is not connected to this scheme.

Quint

daymobrew wrote: »

There is a bicycle rental place at the Parkgate Street end of Phoenix Park. It is not connected to this scheme.

Pity, Phoenix Park is a fantastic amenity that would be served really well with this scheme. Might be a bit far out

walzer

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Which brings me to my next point.. who exactly is going to use this? Students, kids and tourists maybe, but I can't see many women who are doing their shopping, or people in suits (as lost marbles said above, the weather is another problem), or the elderly using them?

The bikes to be used (same as in Paris) are very user-friendly compared to your average bike. They're unisex, thus easy to use for those wearing skirts. They have a basket in front, so you can carry shopping, handbags or whatever quite safely and easily. They have dynamo lights that are on all the time, which automatically makes these bikes safer than about 50% of the other bikes in Dublin. They have a good chain cover, so wearing a suit is not a problem. And unlike Vienna they have normal air tyres, so they're actually very comfortable to cycle (not counting on Dublin's potholes!).

In Paris the bikes are used by tourists, commuters, people socialising in the evening, just about anybody who wants to get from A to B quickly and easily. I don't see why it can't be the same in Dublin. But I'm afraid the biggest problem might be that there won't be enough of them, and the stands will be either empty or full.

walzer

lost marbles wrote: »

lets not forget the irish weather . it rains for eight months of the bloody year ,and who in their right mind would want to cycle down the quays in the office attire getting soaked and splashed from the cars and lorries .

As regards the weather, the great thing about the bikes is you can just leave them back, and walk, take the bus or whatever.

I don't see people depending on these bikes as a way to get to work (or even for part of the journey). There will be too many times there just isn't a bike available.

Instead, it will be a more spontaneous decision, an alternative to a walk or waiting on a bus.