How Many Miles to Bike Sharing, Philadelphia?

October 23, 2009

Last summer, I made the decision to pack my life up into boxes, bid farewell to family and friends, and move to Philadelphia.  I knew making the transition from the working world to graduate school would be difficult, but that was minor in comparison with what I could gain in return. I was leaving Rochester, New York, a small city of 220,000 people, which unfortunately saw its glory days long before I was born, making professional opportunities tough to come by.   

I was also sick of pumping 15 percent of my weekly earnings into a gas tank, strapping snow tires on my car every November, and then spending 45 minutes every morning from December through March warming up the engine while scraping layers of ice and snow from the windows and hood.  I dreamt of the day when I could finally get rid of that old green Chevy Prism and rely solely on my sneakers.  Ultimately, despite all of the great museums, shops, restaurants, and educational opportunities in Philadelphia, the fact that I could ditch my old tin can and rely on public transportation and my own two feet is what sold me on the city. 

I have observed one noticeable void, though:  I didn't think to load my bicycle into the U-Haul in August, and I have yet to retrieve it from home.  Now I feel like I'm in the minority in a city which, according to the 2008 American Community Survey of the US Census Bureau, has the most bike commuters per capita among the nation's ten largest cities.  Not only would a bicycle help me get to class more quickly, I am positive that I could cut my commute time to and from Center City (where my internship is located) during rush hour traffic by riding a bicycle instead of taking the 21 bus. 

You can imagine my reaction, then, when I heard chatter of the possibility that a "bike sharing" program might materialize here in the near future.  The concept is relatively common in Europe, where programs in France and Spain are extensive and have been around for years. 

There are only two existing public bicycle systems in North America -- Montreal and Washington DC, which are increasing mobility and physical activity. According to Alison Cohen, with Alta Bicycle Share, a company that helps cities launch and operate these programs, Arlington, VA, Minneapolis, MN, Denver, CO, Boston, MA, and Melbourne, Australia are all actively planning bike sharing systems for potential spring-summer 2010 launches.

So, I set out to check on the status of the idea in Philadelphia.

Russell Meddin, founder of Bike Share Philadelpha, a network of organizations and individuals who have worked for upwards of two years to bring bike sharing to Philadelphia, says he is patiently awaiting the release of the results of the City's bike share feasibility study.  Then, the political process will begin.  "That will entail lobbying, talking to City Council members, talking to the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities and, hopefully, then the squeaky pedal will get the oil, and the city will get a bike share program," said Meddin.  Launched in September of 2008, the study is being funded by the William Penn Foundation for the City of Philadelphia. It's aimed at forming the basis for a business plan and policy recommendations in order to develop a bike-sharing program that can serve as a model for other cities.  Results were expected in August, but, according to Charles Carmalt, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator for the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities, they most likely won't be released until the end of November.  He says extra time was needed to make sure all the bases were covered.

"We have unique opportunities here to make bike sharing work," said Carmalt. "One of the things that is different here [from other cities] is how high the residential density is in Center City and University City.  Land uses in other large cities are usually more separated.  We have to find out what that might imply in terms of a bike sharing program." Cost is also an issue. "No city in these difficult economic times is wealthy," he said. "Philadelphia will have a hard time securing the public funds needed to assemble or operate a bike share program using available funding sources. We will have to find the right public-private [funding] process for Philadelphia."

Meddin says the tentative goal at this point is a bike sharing program with 5,000 bikes and 450 bike stations.  A system of that size could carry a price-tag of more than $25 million. Covering the cost would require a public-private payment process. "Almost 80 percent of cities around the world that have bike sharing programs pay for them through street furniture contracts," said Meddin, referring to outdoor advertising companies who pay for, install, and maintain street furniture (e.g., bus shelters, benches, trash receptacles and, in this case, bike sharing systems) and in return have the right to sell advertising  space on it. For example, Clear Channel Adshel's contract with Washington, DC that permits the company to sell advertising space in 800 bus shelters pays for the SmartBikeDC bike sharing program.  

"With bike sharing you get an incredible amenity out of [these contracts]:  a wonderful new transportation system," said Meddin.  The City of Philadelphia right now is in the process of putting out a request for proposals for a new street furniture contract, and Bike Share Philadelphia is encouraging everyone to attend a forum on Monday, October 26 hosted by the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities and the Next Great City Coalition on the future of bus shelters and street furniture in the city. Bike Share Philadelphia would like the City to put out a request for information or a request for proposals for a Bike Share program before putting out one for street furniture. That way all companies with bike share program experience could bid on a contract for Philadelphia.  

It can get complicated, though. Alison Cohen shared an example with me.  "Let's say the Main Line decides they want to [be included in Philadelphia's bike sharing system.]  Outdoor advertising companies don't want to go into areas that they don't have contracts with. So it makes it really hard to expand the system beyond the city."*  Issues like this have led to more bike-focused companies stepping in to take the reins in running these programs rather than outdoor advertisers footing the bill.

In a city like Philadelphia where bicycle use is exponentially on the rise and becoming safer through the work of bicycle advocates and with help from city planners, a great opportunity lies in the possible development of a new bike sharing system.  Because the idea is still fairly new in the US, here is an area where Philly can be a leader.

In the words of Alison Cohen, "It's a phenomenal thing to draw tourism to a city, and it's a very visible symbol that a city is committed to green transportation.  On a spending level in public transportation, bike sharing gives you a lot of bang for your buck." 

From a grad student transplant and Upstate New Yorker perspective, though, I am already thankful for what alternative modes of transportation do exist in this city.  The options make my life a whole lot easier, giving me more time (and money) to spend on other activities.

-- Ana Liss, Graduate Research Intern

* Faced with this situation, one program in Europe expanded its program into all contiguous suburbs using the funds from the bike rentals.