Biking NYC

When Alta Bicycle Share announced the news for the Citi Bike bicycle sharing system, I welcomed the news with lots of excitement.  Having a shared biking system had always appealed to me and especially because that meant a few stations would be installed in my neighborhood, East Village.  That meant a lot to me because I could now bike to work without having to worry about where to park my personal bike. I have loved biking ever since I was a child. I would always believe that bikes give you the flexibility to explore those city parts that I could not explore otherwise on foot. Not only did I love and appreciate the flexibility that the biking offered me by taking me from one place to another a lot faster as well as saving me money, but also I was very intrigued by the very mechanics of the bike. It has always been my passion to taking the bike apart and put it back together. I have always enjoyed doing all the repairs myself not only because it was more affordable, but also because it made me feel a lot more connected with the bike and that created a feeling of self-accomplishment.

After arriving in New York City from Europe, it felt as if the urban scale were overwhelming when compared to the human scale. Cycling the streets of New York City felt as if I were crossing the Atlantic Ocean with a kayak. However, I was determined that I was not going to let the concrete jungle dry my long time passion for cycling. I always biked to and from work and school every day. While adjusting to the Manhattan life, the bike became my best friend. Not only did I use it for commuting to work, but also I would bike around the city to explore more of the city’s amazing architecture, thus appreciating even more the other passion of mine, the career as an Architect.

Thus, Citi Bike launched in May of 2013, opening 332 stations that contained a total of 6,000 bikes to share among the New York City residents. This brought me lots of joy and at the same time lots of curiosity on the installation of this bike sharing system. I was now very content that I did not have to worry again about any flat tires, thieves, or any other problems associated with parking the bike in the streets. Furthermore, the protected bike lane was installed on the First Avenue, which enhanced the safety of the bike riders as well as made the street feel a little more people friendly. Ever since the installation of Citi Bike, I have been making use of this bike location, which is conveniently installed near my apartment building as well as near my office building in Midtown.  Although Citi Bike did feel as Hummers in the beginning, the benefits overweighed the disadvantages as I now did not have to worry about finding a secure spot to lock my own bike; Citi Bike has many locations all around the city. Thus, I went ahead and enrolled for the annual membership. 

The bikes were designed to be mainly durable, thus making it a little uncomfortable as you ride. The phone app is very useful because it shows not only where the closed stations are, but also how many bikes the other stations have left. The real time data convenience through the app motivated me even more to sign up for the yearly membership. 

The Citi Bike shared system was the first of its kind installed in New York City. As such, initially, it was not coordinated very properly, as some stations were full and others empty. However, the company, with the development of more data, started using trucks to move bikes around the city to fulfil New Yorker’s needs. For example, East Village is mostly a residential neighborhood. As such, there is a great demand for bikes in the early morning when people leave for work, but there are no free ducking spaces to duck the bike when you return from work. On the other hand, the opposite happens in Midtown, for example in Grand Central, where the majority of the buildings are commercial. 

Although I enjoyed riding the Citi Bike for an entire year, I did miss riding my own, customized fixed gear bike as I had built it myself. I strongly believe that Citi Bike is a great tool to have for riding to and from work or school, that is short distances. Citi Bike did change my views for the better towards bike riding. I did extend the membership for another year as I now introduced my wife towards riding the bike to work. As for myself, I am back to riding the bike that I customized. This bike was especially useful when I did the Tour de Bronx in October of 2015 and successfully completed 44 miles of biking around the Bronx; a dream that came true. 

However, regardless of what kind of bike I use, Citi Bike will always come in handy especially when I get flat tires or other similar problems.

Thank you

for visiting and reading!

Ermir Gjoka 

Vélo'v OR Citibike?

I finally got around to the idea of getting a $9.00 "one day pass" for Citibike and experience the system.

When Citibike was launched, Manhattan was the only borough where Citibike was implemented, soon it expanded into Brooklyn and Queens. We heard so much about Citibike being a truly sustainable option for the everyday commuter.  I agree,  the expansion was necessary in order to bring the city together to the idea of commuting by bicycles and many people rushed to sign-on, However, the Citibike bicycle sharing idea is not quite there yet.

Yes, we have some obvious issues with infrastructure, there are not enough bicycle lanes and for sure not enough regulations protecting the commuters. These are to be solved by the city officials. At a cost of $9.00 for a day pass and $149.00 membership for a year, for those commuters whom consciously choose to curve their carbon footprint by riding a bicycle; is this really a fare rate? and most important, is this really a system that fits within a city framework of trying to achieve sustainable living conditions?

I have used many bike sharing systems before, not just in the US but also in other countries, and I always find them ranging in prices, from surprisingly low to extremely high (Citibike). Then, my interest was... WHY??? Why is the bike sharing system so complex and unpredictable?

I figured I would use this time to compare Vélo'v with Citibike. Vélo'v is the bike sharing system in the small city of Lyon - France. I haven't been there yet -- a quick Google search will prompt you to tons of pictures showcasing its medieval and Renaissance architecture, you can imagine why bicycles are the preferred transport alternative for residents.

Vélo'v is a privately-run public bicycle network. Catering to Lyon's population of 470,000, with around 2,000 bicycles distributed around 175 bicycle stations in an area of 50 km2.  In the city center you are within 400 meters from a bicycle station, the best part is that 10 Euros will buy you a year membership with 30 min unlimited rides; and for longer periods, 1 Euro fee for each extra hour. Also, for those visiting the city, a weekly subscription is available for only 1 Euro.

SO? Are we overpaying for Citibike?

Citibike is also a privatly-run network. The network today aims to cater the total 8.5 million people living in the City. "Thousands" of bikes distributed around 600 Citibike stations in an area of 303 Km2. In Manhattan you are "X" miles meters from a cycle station.  Finally, $149.00 will buy you a year membership for 45 min ride (this increase was recently done from 30 min - 45 min) and $9.00 will allow you to use the blue bike for a day with fees ranging from $2.50 - $9.00 for overtime use. Also, visitors can purchase the weekly subscription for $25, with overtime fees applicable.

The answer is: "YES" in comparison to Vélo'v we are overpaying for technically the same bike.

Notice that "Thousands and X" mean that there is not data for those factors and that the unequal distribution of Citibike docking stations make it even harder for commuters to use the system efficiently.

Well, obviously comparing an small city with New York City doesn't seem quite fair. The ratios do not make sense and I am sure someone could analyze this discussions extensively. In my opinion, the fact that it is not economically sound make Citibike an unsustainable system. Therefore, any bike sharing system that is that expensive or even higher in cost should really be scrutinized in favor to the public. Policies that favor the public and not necessarily these failing business models.

If you made it this far reading my boring analysis, you probably guessed that I did not rent the Citibike. Instead, I went down to the old bike shop and bought myself a bike ON-SALE.
I figured it will payoff next spring when the weather allows.

-------ER--------

Zagster ABQ: A different model of bike share

Over our long Yum Kipper Break I headed out to visit some friends in Albuquerque, New Mexico (and return with a 48 hour train trip back to New York to have relaxation time). I wasn’t really planning to bike in Albuquerque, normally I find bike rentals to be expensive and generally just get around on public transportation and foot when I visit a new city. This all changed on Sunday afternoon when I drove downtown with my friend to experience the second annual ABQ CiQlovía (another event I didn’t know about until just after I arrived). ABQ CiQlovia is Albuquerque’s version of Summer Streets in New York or CicLAvia in Los Angeles. The closed to cars corridor felt extremely short at only 1 mile long (not worth acquiring a bike to ride). We did have a nice walk from the Civic Center to the Rail Yards market and back. As we finished walking, to return to the car and visit a different neighborhood to grab lunch (no restaurants in downtown seemed to be open on Sundays) I saw it, a bike share rack for Zagster! Alburquerque's bike share program.

            I immediately Googled Zagster and discovered this service is the ultimate locally organized and sponsored bike share. A business can pay different amounts of money for different levels of sponsorship, number of bikes outside, and different numbers off free passes for their employees. I also was amazed at how cheap their price list was to the general public, with a 24-hour day pass costing only $3 (granted their only about 13 stations) for unlimited 90 minute rentals.

Map (Zagster ABQ Website): 

Sponsorship Levels (DowntownABQ Website):

Riding Zagster (and the app):

Monday morning I had the Southwest Chief to catch at Noon. My friend dropped me off at the Amtrak Station/Main downtown Alvarado Transportation Center on his way to work. I left my suitcase at luggage storage and fired up the Zagster App. I then walked to the nearest rack, not in front the Alvarado Transportation Center but a block north in front of the Downtown Movie Theater (that had sponsored a rack).

I went through the app to register and purchase a $3 day pass using the app was easy, I then chose a bike, entered the code on my iPhone, got the lock box opened on the second try with the code given to me, got the key and unlocked the standard bike lock.

Note: Photos and screenshots taken at Different times during my Zagster Experience, these  all explain how Zagster work!

I then head down Historic Route 66! Riding I really wish that I'm warring a bike helmet! I am a Founding Citibike Member (and am used to riding the tanks that are Citibikes. There something about their sturdiness and slow speeds that make me feel safe riding without a helmet. Zagster, on the other hand, uses conventional and much lighter normal 7-speed Cruiser Bikes. I’m a bit of an aggressive rider and really feel like I was making good speed, just like on my own personal bike. The bike lane on route 66 (listed in Google as a bike route was also hit-and-miss).

I then ride a couple miles into Old Town, the most touristy part of Alburquerque that my friend says is a place he refuses to go (like Times Square you could say for New Yorkers).

Old Town is a tourist trap that feels a lot more lame, and less genuinely old, than New Mexico's more famous and larger Spanish Mission Style Old Town in Santa Fe. I end up locking up and ending this Zagster rental there, in the rack sponsored by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History. A block east of the Old Town Square since no business in the center of Old Town has sponsored a rack. To lock a bike you use the lockbox again, to get the key and lock the conventional U-Lock to a Zagster Rack. You then have to hit "End Rental" in the app, as a screen yells at me to make sure I'm actually locking my Zagster up at a Designated Zagster Rack (basically a regular bike rack with Zagster logos).

I take a short walk in Old Town, not all that impressed and decide that my last hour+ in Santa Fe before my train would be much better spent going on a longer bike ride. I walk to the entrance (through a parking lot) of the Bio Park to pick up my next Zagster. This rack has one bike nearly overgrown by a green (it's the end of a relatively rainy, by ABQ standards summer) shrubbery.

I ask someone and walk past the entrances to the botanical gardens and aquarium and find the Rio Grande Bike Path. This is a nice protected bike path along the extremely namesake river. I ride south until I'm a couple miles south of the train station, and realize I'm near the train tracks and might as well ride along them north. I cross the tracks and see the light of my train (that sits in Albuquerque for about an hour for it's middle of the second day service stop on its 2 day journey from Los Angeles to New York), zooming north for the station.

I head north towards the train station, on an empty two-lane road with sharrows.

I get back to the movie theater rack across from the transit center/train station and lock my bike up.

As I walk back to the station and am waiting in line at the ticket office to retrieve my suitcase I realize I've forgotten a step. Electronically ending my ride through the Zagster app!

I board my Amtrak Roomette Sleeper Car, and settle in, taking advatage of the trains onboard shower to get clean after my two hour bike ride. My overall impressions of Zagster is that it's a system that works well for small cities trying to do a 'pilot' bike share program with little government planning (Cleveland also uses Zagster for what's described as )

First timer in Central Park

September 27^th, 2015

           

            Today, for the first time in my 6 years of living in here New York City, I went on a bike ride. Now, I’ve learned myself from growing up in Long Island, but riding a bicycle in NYC can be one challenging task. Personally I don’t even feel safe driving a regular car in the city because of the natural up-tempo personalities people have; which can cause danger when put behind the wheel. Now to combine hectic drivers with cyclists on the same city streets, is just calling for a disaster to happen. I’m okay with mass transit. All it takes is one pedestrian to wave his or her hand – the summoning for a taxi – and a cab will dart, perpendicular to traffic, across 3 lanes, sending a harmless cyclist on a nice trip to the emergency room. But today, I figured (also because it’s required for class) let me go for a bike ride. I found a rental agency online located on East 55^th Street, where I was able to get bike and head over to Central Park. Leaving the rental shop was a little nerve-racking as it was my first time on a city street with a bike, on top of that the associate at the bike rental couldn’t give me a firm answer on when the bike was last serviced so the brakes could’ve given out right in the middle of 6^th avenue – Nice. But I began to feel comfortable after a couple of peddles in. It was only a few blocks to the park, and there was bike lane most of the way, but on 6^th avenue I had to merge into regular traffic with cars and taxis. Unfortunately – because of the value I have on my life – I wasn’t able to capture a photo of the exciting scene of biking through traffic.

I made it to the park! I’ve always thought of Central Park as a cool and tranquil attraction that everyone should try and escape to, but after experiencing a bike ride along the paths, it is now a must-do. 9am on a Sunday and the Park was loaded with people. For most on bikes, like myself, it was a time to just glide and take in the scenery; others decided this is where they’re going to train for the Tour de France. I had to pay close attention for a zipping sound – which would indicate someone was on bike approaching me at a very high speed – in order to make a safe turn. I may have lost the ability to do a wheelie, but being on the bike took me back to the memories of being younger when I would stay out of the house for hours, care-free. After one big lap around the park, I decided to take my trip back to the regular streets as I still had two hours left of my rental. I ended up on Park Avenue where the view was incredible of simple non-extravagant building architecture.

 This bike ride seems to be the start of a new routine I may now incorporate into my Sunday mornings. I look forward to take advantage of the comfortable weather as it is here.

Biking in NYC by a non-biker - Ana Ynestrillas

I´ve been living in NYC for over a year and have always had the best of the intentions on giving CitiBike a try it just hadn´t happened yet. Because of the usual concerns that any common non biker would have about biking in a city like NYC. Its crazy traffic can scare anyone.

Nevertheless taking a class on sustainable transportation meant that I could no longer postpone this. I needed to use the bike sharing program in order to understand holistically the complex transportation system of NYC in order to be able to judge it more assertively.

Without even looking for it, there it was ... During my regular Sunday routine which consits in going to a coffee shop a few blocks away from my apt. to study, I bumped into a CitiBike stand where they were giving out free 2 week CitiBike trials.

   They armed me with everything I needed my key,a Bike map , a Guide to Cycling in NYC, a $10 discount cupon on a helmet and an invitation to a CitiBike Street Skills Class which I went to . I figured no harm in going. There they gave us a few tips about biking in the City which were quite helpful refreshing my memory since it had been years since I last biked. There I meet Emma a Danish girl who´s in New York doing research for her thesis project which will be on the cycling culture in NYC she´ll be reading this blog, hope its helpful.

Next step: a helmet , despite them not being mandatory I think their use is very important. Which I got from a biker friend who was kind enough to give me as much advice as he could before setting me on the road.

After all this process I was finally ready to get on the bike amazingly it went way better than what I could have expected I loved it . Found it actually easier than what I imagined felt way safer and found that cars are aware of you and not against you I did most of my short commutes on the bike and found it more effcient than using the subway. As there is little connectivity from east to west and vice versa by subway I find CitiBike the perfect way of filling this gap.