Launch of new Cork Public Bikes Scheme

Subpopulus

Launching in the summer was the plan, it was just unforeseen problems with contractors pushed the launch date four months over the planned limit. They're not just a bunch of idiots who sat around and said 'lets launch the bikeshare the week before christmas and we'll only do half of them at that'.

I heard about the reason for the delay from a person connected with they city council and I don't really think it's the fault of An Rothar Nua that the launch is coming as late as it is. They're making the best of a bad situation in launching half of the stations now and the rest later.

SomeFool

I'd rather have it than not have it so I'm happy they've started rolling it out!

askU

How much do these bikes cost to rent =

https://www.bikeshare.ie/pricing-and-subscriptions.html

zulutango

askU wrote: »

How much do these bikes cost to rent?

First ½ hour No Charge
Up to 1 hour €0.50
Up to 2 hours €1.50
Up to 3 hours €3.50
Up to 4 hours €6.50
Every extra ½ hour €2.00

rahmalec

I know it's early days yet, but I hope they end up putting stations in the suburbs. In fact, I don't know why it hasn't already been done in Dublin. So many more people would use them.

j8wk2feszrnpao

rahmalec wrote: »

I know it's early days yet, but I hope they end up putting stations in the suburbs. In fact, I don't know why it hasn't already been done in Dublin. So many more people would use them.

My guess would be:
1. If you live in the suburbs and want to travel by bicycle, then you'd own one.
2. Tougher to manage the in terms of the vans moving the bicycles around to even the spread.

54kroc

munstermagic11 wrote: »

My guess would be:
1. If you live in the suburbs and want to travel by bicycle, then you'd own one.
2. Tougher to manage the in terms of the vans moving the bicycles around to even the spread.

I think with a city as tiny as Cork it makes more sense to have the bikes in the suburbs.

j8wk2feszrnpao

54kroc wrote: »

I think with a city as tiny as Cork it makes more sense to have the bikes in the suburbs.

Let's say you add one or even two to Douglas. Where do you put them? If it's more than a 5 or 10 min walk for people, then you might as well own a bicycle.
If you add multiple stations to the area, then costs increase and it can become more difficult to manage.

I'm not claiming that it wouldn't work; I just don't see it as necessary or even feasible when you could use that financing to promote further bicycle ownership.

Bacchus

munstermagic11 wrote: »

Let's say you add one or even two to Douglas. Where do you put them? If it's more than a 5 or 10 min walk for people, then you might as well own a bicycle.
If you add multiple stations to the area, then costs increase and it can become more difficult to manage.

I'm not claiming that it wouldn't work; I just don't see it as necessary or even feasible when you could use that financing to promote further bicycle ownership.

Agreed, maybe 5 years down the road we could start seeing the scheme roll out further and further from the city but I can't fault the layout of the stations as they are currently proposed. The stations need to be relatively closely packed for the scheme to really work, otherwise there is an increased risk (that would be noticed by customers) of having a substantial walk to their destination due to isolated stations being full! I'm sure as this becomes a success, there will be reinvestment to expand beyond the current boundaries.

daviecronin

I'm just wondering, I signed up on the 23rd of last month and have yet to receive a letter or anything else. I know it wasn't the best idea to sign up over Christmas but shouldn't it be here by now?

Knasher

daviecronin wrote: »

I'm just wondering, I signed up on the 23rd of last month and have yet to receive a letter or anything else. I know it wasn't the best idea to sign up over Christmas but shouldn't it be here by now?

There probably hasn't been that many working days since then, assuming of course that they didn't work over the break, so I wouldn't worry about it just yet.

daviecronin

Knasher wrote: »

There probably hasn't been that many working days since then, assuming of course that they didn't work over the break, so I wouldn't worry about it just yet.

That's what I though, its just I saw someone and they got it the next day! I'm waiting patiently to hop up on one of the bikes

TheChizler

I'd be a bit worried about the positioning of some stands, very close to moving vehicles in some cases. By the tax office for instance, the first couple of bikes have been whalloped by cars.

pwurple

Regarding the stations, maybe some along the PARC ui coaimhe - Blackrock - passage west amenity walkway/cycle track might be used.

Jentle Grenade

TheChizler wrote: »

I'd be a bit worried about the positioning of some stands, very close to moving vehicles in some cases. By the tax office for instance, the first couple of bikes have been whalloped by cars.

The same thing is evident on the bikes in the Fin Barre's Bridge/Washington Street station, i.e. a car/van has motored into a few of them. The locations of some of them are quite strange really considering how close they are to moving traffic.

TheChizler

Couple of cones should sort that right out!

the beer revolu

Moving car hits stationary bicycle.
Blame the bicycle?????

TheChizler

the beer revolu wrote: »

Moving car hits stationary bicycle.
Blame the bicycle?????

Not necessarily, just they should have had foresight for idiots being idiots.

j8wk2feszrnpao

the beer revolu wrote: »

Moving car hits stationary bicycle.
Blame the bicycle?????

Who blamed the bicycle?????
Jezz, can't someone point out that the stations may have poorly placed without being jumped upon.

Lemag

I noticed a couple of nights ago that I couldn't take a bike after 00:30. Is this restriction also in place with the Dublin bike scheme?

namloc1980

Lemag wrote: »

I noticed a couple of nights ago that I couldn't take a bike after 00:30. Is this restriction also in place with the Dublin bike scheme?

Yes the same. You can't take a bike between 00.30 & 05.30

Mushy

Saw them cutting up the pavement outside Carrolls on Patrick Street, assume it's for this. It's great, dead handy.

Worztron

Mushy wrote: »

Saw them cutting up the pavement outside Carrolls on Patrick Street, assume it's for this. It's great, dead handy.

Also saw them cutting up the pavement on 2 places on Patrick Street. Nice! Maybe one of those places was where you mentioned. The other place is across from Easons.

Mushy

Worztron wrote: »

Also saw them cutting up the pavement on 2 places on Patrick Street. Nice! Maybe one of those places was where you mentioned. The other place is across from Easons.

Yeah that's the one I saw and will be hoping to use the odd time.

namloc1980

Saw the station outside Bishop Lucey park and the one outside Electric on the Mall being worked on today.

thomil

namloc1980 wrote: »

Saw the station outside Bishop Lucey park and the one outside Electric on the Mall being worked on today.

Also, the station at Camden Quay, which had been finished but non-operational since the launch of the program back in December 2014, has finally gone online today. It seems that the system is finally coming together. Glad to see it.

okedoke

any update on the city centre stands?

Pitcairn

okedoke wrote: »

any update on the city centre stands?

I was walking around town this morning and the city centre stands are almost complete. Across the street from Easons, near the Chateau bar on Patrick's Street, a big one opposite the Imperial Hotel, another one outside Bar Electric, another big one by Connolly Hall for the park and ride, one at the Bus station and one outside the Clarion.

I'd say they'll be opened shortly.

I drove into the city centre yesterday passing UCC and then came home and saw five separate people using the bikes. Seems positive so far.

okedoke

Pitcairn wrote: »

I was walking around town this morning and the city centre stands are almost complete. Across the street from Easons, near the Chateau bar on Patrick's Street, a big one opposite the Imperial Hotel, another one outside Bar Electric, another big one by Connolly Hall for the park and ride, one at the Bus station and one outside the Clarion.

I'd say they'll be opened shortly.

I drove into the city centre yesterday passing UCC and then came home and saw five separate people using the bikes. Seems positive so far.

Yea - I'm impressed so far

Subpopulus

I think I saw a report in the Examiner in mid-January saying that 5000 people had signed up for the scheme across the three cities. I just checked back on the NTA website and they reckoned when they were scoping out the bike scheme that about 5000-5500 people would sign up for the bikes. So they've already reached that target with only about 60% of the bike scheme up and running. In retrospect, their membership estimations were very low. I reckon about 10-15,000 people might sign up in the end.