Dublin Bikes
Encyclopedia
dublinbikes is a public bicycle rental scheme which has been operated in the city of Dublin since 2009. The scheme uses 450 French-made unisex
bicyles. Dublin was the 17th city to implement such a scheme. The scheme is sponsored by JCDecaux
.
received 72 free advertising spaces around Dublin in a 15-year deal in return for the advertising company's funding of the project. Critics argued that the deal was an expensive one when compared to Copenhagen where companies pay to have their logos attached to the bicycle. 450 bicycle stands were installed in groups of ten and twenty in forty locations around Dublin from June 2009. The scheme was opposed by An Taisce
who said it was “misuse of legislation by a local authority to facilitate a private development”.
On 10 May 2010 (post-launch), city councillors in Dublin voted for more advertising hoardings to be used to help with payments, with more than 30,000 people having subscribed (1,500 was the predicted number of subscribers for this stage of the project).
On 14 August 2010, it was announced that the scheme had reached its one millionth trip. By May 2011, two million journeys had been made.
on the journey. Approximately 1,000 people used the bicycles in the first six hours, with a further thousand people having subscribed to use them. Some 11,000 people applied in the first fortnight and Dublin City Council's supply of subscriber cards was reduced to zero, with the Council having initially targeted a 5,000-person uptake in the first year. More than 25,000 people had applied to take part in the scheme by March 2010. Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley
said after the launch this level of uptake indicated the new "mainstream" approach to cycling in Ireland. On 22 June 2010, a "technical fault" was reported with no one able to hire a bike; this was resolved by the end of the day.
After 4 hours, every extra 30 minutes costs €2. The system is in practice virtually free to users as over 95% of journeys last less than 30 minutes.
bicyles with a silver colour and blue rear mudguard were produced by the French bicycle company Mercier
, in Hungary
and are repaired by JCDecaux
. They are three-speed bicycle
s with an adjustable cushioned saddle, always-on LED lighting
, a locking system and a front bicycle basket
.
Each station is equipped with an automatic rental terminal and stands for approximately 20 bicycles. 14 of the 40 terminals have credit card facilities enabling the user to purchase a 3 Day Ticket.
If a user arrives with a rented bicycle at a station without open spots, the terminal grants another fifteen minutes of free rental time. The rental terminals also display information about neighbouring dublinbike stations, including location, number of available bicycles and open stands. A fleet of bicycle-transporting vehicles are used to redistribute bicycles between empty and full stations.
In the first ten months of the scheme, it was reported that there were over 37,000 users, over 828,000 journeys, no accidents, no vandalism, and only one bike missing.
In November 2010, a major five-year expansion plan was adopted due to the huge success of the scheme thus far. The plan will see the number of bikes increase from 450 to 5,000 and the number of bike stations increase from 40 to 300. The scheme will be extended as far north as DCU
, as far south as UCD
, as far east as Sandymount
and as far west as Inchicore
. The expansion will be funded differently than the original scheme, most likely through a mix of public and private funding.
Unisex
Unisex stands for the meaning that either gender or sex will be able to, but can also be another term for gender-blindness.The term was coined in the 1962 and was used fairly informally...
bicyles. Dublin was the 17th city to implement such a scheme. The scheme is sponsored by JCDecaux
JCDecaux
JCDecaux Group is a multinational corporation based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, that is active primarily in advertising....
.
History
The scheme was announced by Dubin City Council in 2006 when JCDecauxJCDecaux
JCDecaux Group is a multinational corporation based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, that is active primarily in advertising....
received 72 free advertising spaces around Dublin in a 15-year deal in return for the advertising company's funding of the project. Critics argued that the deal was an expensive one when compared to Copenhagen where companies pay to have their logos attached to the bicycle. 450 bicycle stands were installed in groups of ten and twenty in forty locations around Dublin from June 2009. The scheme was opposed by An Taisce
An Taisce
An Taisce , also known as the National Trust for Ireland, was established in 1948 with a similar mission to that of the National Trust in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
who said it was “misuse of legislation by a local authority to facilitate a private development”.
On 10 May 2010 (post-launch), city councillors in Dublin voted for more advertising hoardings to be used to help with payments, with more than 30,000 people having subscribed (1,500 was the predicted number of subscribers for this stage of the project).
On 14 August 2010, it was announced that the scheme had reached its one millionth trip. By May 2011, two million journeys had been made.
Launch
The dublinbikes scheme was launched on 13 September 2009, with around 150 ordinary cyclists embarking on their first ride behind John Tierney, Dublin City Manager, and Andrew Montague, a councillor who was representing the Lord Mayor of DublinLord Mayor of Dublin
The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the honorific title of the Chairman of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The incumbent is Labour Party Councillor Andrew Montague. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the...
on the journey. Approximately 1,000 people used the bicycles in the first six hours, with a further thousand people having subscribed to use them. Some 11,000 people applied in the first fortnight and Dublin City Council's supply of subscriber cards was reduced to zero, with the Council having initially targeted a 5,000-person uptake in the first year. More than 25,000 people had applied to take part in the scheme by March 2010. Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley
John Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
said after the launch this level of uptake indicated the new "mainstream" approach to cycling in Ireland. On 22 June 2010, a "technical fault" was reported with no one able to hire a bike; this was resolved by the end of the day.
Cost to users
In order to use the system, users need to take out a subscription, which allows the subscriber an unlimited number of rentals. Subscriptions can get a Long Term Hire Card costing €10, or a 3 Day Ticket costing €2. Users also authorize Dublin Bikes to charge €150 from their credit card if the bike is not returned. The first half-hour of every journey is free, after that a service charge applies. See below for pricing structure:| Time | 30 min | 1 hr | 2 hrs | 3 hrs | 4 hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | Free | €0.50 | €1.50 | €3.50 | €6.50 |
After 4 hours, every extra 30 minutes costs €2. The system is in practice virtually free to users as over 95% of journeys last less than 30 minutes.
Overview
The robust unisexUnisex
Unisex stands for the meaning that either gender or sex will be able to, but can also be another term for gender-blindness.The term was coined in the 1962 and was used fairly informally...
bicyles with a silver colour and blue rear mudguard were produced by the French bicycle company Mercier
Mercier
Mercier is a common family name in France, in French-speaking regions of Belgium, Canada and Switzerland, and is found elsewhere where French-speaking people have settled.-List of persons with the surname:...
, in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and are repaired by JCDecaux
JCDecaux
JCDecaux Group is a multinational corporation based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, that is active primarily in advertising....
. They are three-speed bicycle
Three-speed bicycle
The three-speed bicycle is a bicycle that uses internal hub gears at the rear wheel hub to provide three gear ratios. Typically, in low gear, the rear sprocket turns faster than the wheel; in middle gear, the rear sprocket turns at the same speed as the wheel; in high gear, the rear wheel turns...
s with an adjustable cushioned saddle, always-on LED lighting
Bicycle lighting
Bicycle lighting improves the visibility of the bicycle rider to others in dark conditions, i.e. to increase the rider's conspicuity and to enhance the ability of the rider to see, illuminating the way forward. Both reflectors and active lights are used to make the rider more visible, and many ...
, a locking system and a front bicycle basket
Bicycle basket
A bicycle basket allows a bicycle rider to carry cargo or objects without using their hands. Baskets on children's bicycles and some utility bicycles are often mounted to the front handle bars and are made of wire mesh, wicker, or woven plastic...
.
Each station is equipped with an automatic rental terminal and stands for approximately 20 bicycles. 14 of the 40 terminals have credit card facilities enabling the user to purchase a 3 Day Ticket.
If a user arrives with a rented bicycle at a station without open spots, the terminal grants another fifteen minutes of free rental time. The rental terminals also display information about neighbouring dublinbike stations, including location, number of available bicycles and open stands. A fleet of bicycle-transporting vehicles are used to redistribute bicycles between empty and full stations.
In the first ten months of the scheme, it was reported that there were over 37,000 users, over 828,000 journeys, no accidents, no vandalism, and only one bike missing.
Future
Due to the success of the scheme in its first year, a first phase of expansion has begun which will see an extra 100 bikes, 4 new stations and 400 new bike stands being added to the Dublinbikes network.In November 2010, a major five-year expansion plan was adopted due to the huge success of the scheme thus far. The plan will see the number of bikes increase from 450 to 5,000 and the number of bike stations increase from 40 to 300. The scheme will be extended as far north as DCU
Dublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
, as far south as UCD
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, as far east as Sandymount
Sandymount
Sandymount is a coastal seaside suburb in Dublin 4 on the Southside of Dublin in Ireland. It is in the Dublin South East Dáil constituency and the East Pembroke Ward. It was once part of Pembroke Township, which took its name from the fact that this area was part of the estate of the Earl of...
and as far west as Inchicore
Inchicore
-Location and access:Located five kilometres due west of the city centre, Inchicore lies south of the River Liffey, west of Kilmainham, north of Drimnagh and east of Ballyfermot. The majority of Inchicore is in the Dublin 8 postal district...
. The expansion will be funded differently than the original scheme, most likely through a mix of public and private funding.
External links
- Official website
- Unofficial mobile site
- Unofficial webApp
- http://www.dublinbiker.com/Unofficial iPhoneIPhoneThe iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
webApp]