trymahjong Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I learned at Neartown meeting that the COH bike share program is expanding into Montrose. Bobby Heugal has offered his property in front of Hay Merchant to be a "weigh station". An additional property is being searched out on Westheimer between Stanford and Brazos. a little background http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Bike-sharing-program-kicks-into-high-gear-4181173.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I found it really odd that they thought it made sense to put 16 of the 21 stations downtown. That's a really foolish allocation, I'd say. Still, glad it's expanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
102IAHexpress Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 I found it really odd that they thought it made sense to put 16 of the 21 stations downtown. That's a really foolish allocation, I'd say. Still, glad it's expanding. I thought so too. But I think it has to do with their pricing model. Base fee + check out fee. Check out is free if the bike is checked out less than one hour. After one hour you pay an additional two dollars every half hour the bike is checked out. But the checkout is "extended" if you check-in to another station before your free one hour expires. So the more stations there are within a close proximity the easier it is to continue to check-in and out for free. That being said, I still don't know who this mode of transportation caters to? Locals? Tourists? I live in downtown. I go to a lot of rockets and dynamo games. If I want to ride a bike share bicycle to the stadium and back that's $8 for a three hour game. $16 if a friend joins me. At that price point I would rather ride the bus or share a cab. And that does not take into account the bike share base fee. Anyways, I've started to see more stations around downtown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 (edited) I thought so too. But I think it has to do with their pricing model. Base fee + check out fee. Check out is free if the bike is checked out less than one hour. After one hour you pay an additional two dollars every half hour the bike is checked out. But the checkout is "extended" if you check-in to another station before your free one hour expires. So the more stations there are within a close proximity the easier it is to continue to check-in and out for free. That being said, I still don't know who this mode of transportation caters to? Locals? Tourists? I live in downtown. I go to a lot of rockets and dynamo games. If I want to ride a bike share bicycle to the stadium and back that's $8 for a three hour game. $16 if a friend joins me. At that price point I would rather ride the bus or share a cab. And that does not take into account the bike share base fee. Anyways, I've started to see more stations around downtown. Yes, with Phase Two they're shifting from 90 minute checkout to 60 minutes. I see it the other way around, though. Need more stations in Midtown, Montrose, and East End so that people can check back in. If you're going to Toyota Center, I would recommend a check-in at George R Brown. Anyway, you could use a bcycle for a small grocery trip. I've borrowed one before when my bike was out of commission. Edited April 1, 2013 by kylejack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Eh, you can get a year pass for $60. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Dang, it's $65 now. It was $50 during Phase One. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Any plans to put them at or near metrorail stations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Any plans to put them at or near metrorail stations? New bike stations have been placed at: Museum District, Ensemble HCC, Downtown Transit Center, Main Street Square, and UHD stations. And the old Market Square Park one is pretty close to Preston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwatra Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Could they be catering to folks that drive/bus in to downtown and want to run errands, grab lunch, etc? I figured anyone that lives in the area that is inclined to bike will have their own. Tourists couldn't sustain this, I just don't see it. I've borrowed bikes in a few cities, the rates I remember were lower than this if you wanted it just for a few hours (no membership required). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 I used a similar system when I lived in Minneapolis. It's actually really useful, even if you have a bike, provided there are enough stations that there's one close enough the where you happen to be *and* where you need to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 How is the biking downtown in the middle of the day? I recall some years ago the city put up a fuss about bikers, particularly bike messengers, biking on the sidewalks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Could they be catering to folks that drive/bus in to downtown and want to run errands, grab lunch, etc? I figured anyone that lives in the area that is inclined to bike will have their own. Tourists couldn't sustain this, I just don't see it. I've borrowed bikes in a few cities, the rates I remember were lower than this if you wanted it just for a few hours (no membership required). In what city was BCycle cheaper? In San Antonio, for example, the daily rate is twice the price, $10, for half the initial checkout time.How is the biking downtown in the middle of the day? I recall some years ago the city put up a fuss about bikers, particularly bike messengers, biking on the sidewalks.It's good. Bikes should be on the roads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Has there been any word on the ultimate goal for stations around town? Will they make it as far as Memorial Park or the Galleria? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 There is no announced Phase 3 yet, no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trymahjong Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 I drove by Haymerchant and saw the new bike station, also saw the article in the Chronicle on Wednesday by Dug Begley that talked about the program and had a map of where to find the bike rentals-- I found their website.http://houston.bcycle.com/ Hope this program really takes off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Has there been any word on the ultimate goal for stations around town? Will they make it as far as Memorial Park or the Galleria? While there may not be any stations at Memorial Park yet, I have seen the bikes as far west of downtown as Allen Parkway and Shepherd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Used the bike share in San Antonio this weekend for the expanded southern portion of the riverwalk this weekend. Beautiful scenery and very easy to check in before 30 minutes were up since so many bike stations up and down the riverwalk. Will have to return after August 31 when the full expansion is complete to Mission Espada. Thought about getting the annual membership but Buffalo Bayou is pretty ugly in comparison and full of people and dogs also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 I thought so too. But I think it has to do with their pricing model. Base fee + check out fee. Check out is free if the bike is checked out less than one hour. After one hour you pay an additional two dollars every half hour the bike is checked out. But the checkout is "extended" if you check-in to another station before your free one hour expires. So the more stations there are within a close proximity the easier it is to continue to check-in and out for free. That being said, I still don't know who this mode of transportation caters to? Locals? Tourists? I live in downtown. I go to a lot of rockets and dynamo games. If I want to ride a bike share bicycle to the stadium and back that's $8 for a three hour game. $16 if a friend joins me. At that price point I would rather ride the bus or share a cab. And that does not take into account the bike share base fee. Anyways, I've started to see more stations around downtown. Why would you keep the bike checked out for the entire game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Used the bike share in San Antonio this weekend for the expanded southern portion of the riverwalk this weekend. Beautiful scenery and very easy to check in before 30 minutes were up since so many bike stations up and down the riverwalk. Will have to return after August 31 when the full expansion is complete to Mission Espada. Thought about getting the annual membership but Buffalo Bayou is pretty ugly in comparison and full of people and dogs also. On other forums, this is known as a troll post. On this forum, however, the moderators feel compelled to protect trolls like this. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so perhaps you are sincere in your belief that Buffalo Bayou...which is in the middle of renovations...is ugly. However, you claim that San Antonio's ditch is beautiful even though it is under construction. Whether troll or sincere, we do not miss you on Buffalo's new bike trails. I ride them a few times per week, and have never found them to be too crowded. I do wonder why an urban fan would so offended that the Buffalo Bayou trail is "full of people and dogs also". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 On other forums, this is known as a troll post. On this forum, however, the moderators feel compelled to protect trolls like this. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so perhaps you are sincere in your belief that Buffalo Bayou...which is in the middle of renovations...is ugly. However, you claim that San Antonio's ditch is beautiful even though it is under construction. Whether troll or sincere, we do not miss you on Buffalo's new bike trails. I ride them a few times per week, and have never found them to be too crowded. I do wonder why an urban fan would so offended that the Buffalo Bayou trail is "full of people and dogs also". Please refrain from mocking the moderators and insulting me yet again though I've never said an ill word about you. All I did was give my opinion on the aesthetic properties of the riverwalk against buffalo bayou. Also, I biked on the portion of the riverwalk that is open to the public, the portion under construction is not open to the public yet, obviously. I'm all for more biking as we could as more exercise is always a good thing particularly for Texans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 (edited) Thought about getting the annual membership but Buffalo Bayou is pretty ugly in comparison and full of people and dogs also. Once again you hypocritically compare something in Houston negatively to another city, yet cry foul whenever something in Houston is compared favorably to another city [Dallas]. Edited May 20, 2013 by kylejack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 The mods know what I think. Your post is troll, ie, meant to invoke strong reactions from other posters. Since we are making requests, I ask that you please refrain from derailing this thread with trolling posts. You just can't help yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 (edited) Used the bike share in San Antonio this weekend for the expanded southern portion of the riverwalk this weekend. Beautiful scenery and very easy to check in before 30 minutes were up since so many bike stations up and down the riverwalk. Will have to return after August 31 when the full expansion is complete to Mission Espada. Thought about getting the annual membership but Buffalo Bayou is pretty ugly in comparison and full of people and dogs also. How does the bike share in SA compare to our own? Do you find it difficult to check in 30 minutes early when you use the bike share in Houston? Are the bike share locations in Houston not conducive to sharing bikes? Does your opinion of Buffalo Bayou make Houston's bike share hard to use? Does the number of people using the parks along the bayou make it hard to use the bike share? Are the dogs strays, or are they there at their owners bequest? Do the dogs affect your ability to use the bike share program? And the most relevant question: Since most (all) of the Houston bike share locations are in downtown and montrose what does your opinion of Buffalo Bayou have to do with the program? You just can't help yourself. He makes a valid point, see above... I keep seeing more and more of the bike share bikes riding around Houston, it's a good thing, I hope it leads to more people buying their own bikes, I can imagine that it's a good way for people to give riding a try for a really low investment and realize that it's something they enjoy. Of course, now that temps are starting to creep towards the mid 90s, I wonder how this will affect people using the bike share? Edited May 20, 2013 by samagon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 I keep seeing more and more of the bike share bikes riding around Houston, it's a good thing, I hope it leads to more people buying their own bikes, I can imagine that it's a good way for people to give riding a try for a really low investment and realize that it's something they enjoy. Of course, now that temps are starting to creep towards the mid 90s, I wonder how this will affect people using the bike share? Yesterday, I noticed that they have a bikeshare setup on Sabine Street, right at the entrance to the skate park. So, those who wish to ride on the Buffalo Bayou trail system have a bikeshare right there. I've seen several of the bikeshare bicycles every time I've been on the Buffalo Bayou trails. Last week, I even saw some of the bikes on the Heights bike trail. So, they are definitely getting use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 How does the bike share in SA compare to our own? SA's is one of the most expensive in the nation, basically twice the price of ours with tighter requirements. SA $10 checkout$4 per 30 minutes over 30 Houston$5 checkout$2 per 30 minutes over an hour They do have a lot more stations, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 (edited) SA's is one of the most expensive in the nation, basically twice the price of ours with tighter requirements. SA $10 checkout$4 per 30 minutes over 30 Houston$5 checkout$2 per 30 minutes over an hour They do have a lot more stations, though. The machines in san antonio said $2 per 30 minutes over 30. Also I'm thinking the requirements are tighter because of the high amount of tourists that come into San Antonio. Edited May 20, 2013 by Slick Vik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Yesterday, I noticed that they have a bikeshare setup on Sabine Street, right at the entrance to the skate park. So, those who wish to ride on the Buffalo Bayou trail system have a bikeshare right there. I've seen several of the bikeshare bicycles every time I've been on the Buffalo Bayou trails. Last week, I even saw some of the bikes on the Heights bike trail. So, they are definitely getting use. The problem is west of sabine street on the bayou there aren't any stations (I think). So if you get a bike you will be paying unless you go down and back within an hour. Going down the riverwalk there were quite a few stations so this wasn't an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 The machines in san antonio said $2 per 30 minutes over 30. Also I'm thinking the requirements are tighter because of the high amount of tourists that come into San Antonio. Oh yeah, you're right. But only a 30 minute ride without having to check back in. http://sanantonio.bcycle.com/pricing.aspx And yes, I do think it is touristy pricing, which makes it less useful for people in town imo. I think San Antonio treats it like a profit center while Houston treats it as a draw to get people on bikes and checking out the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 The problem is west of sabine street on the bayou there aren't any stations (I think). So if you get a bike you will be paying unless you go down and back within an hour. Going down the riverwalk there were quite a few stations so this wasn't an issue. Sure, but given the low cost of entry ($5), one can ride a bike in Houston for 2 hours for less than the cost of 30 minutes in San Antonio. Of course, there are actual people and dogs in Houston, so there's that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Oh yeah, you're right. But only a 30 minute ride without having to check back in.http://sanantonio.bcycle.com/pricing.aspxAnd yes, I do think it is touristy pricing, which makes it less useful for people in town imo. I think San Antonio treats it like a profit center while Houston treats it as a draw to get people on bikes and checking out the city.Maybe they price it high so people don't keep the bikes too long so there is more sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.