I think that Glasgow's success has a few interesting factors to review
- a buy-in from big trip generators who were already slightly aligned (Glasgow University has universal pedestrian priority & 5mph speed limits on the internal roads)
- all Glasgow University members got free membership. Others get discounted rates or free. Reduces need for inter-site minibuses (direct costs)/car trips (land costs) &c
- 95% discount & other deals for those having transport poverty, or New Scots/refugees etc
The Beryl models in Poole and now Leeds have started small with fairly focussed local circulation, which can be grown organically as public 'discover' the gains. This was apparent from the snowballing change in cycle use during 2 big London rail blockades 2004-05 & 2006-07
A few details to look at if Edinburgh is to get a public bike Hire system
- It needs to be part of a full Mobility deal, so a bus pass can also hire bikes, and hire car club cars (with monthly billing for use, or preloaded credits)
- if linked in to NEC (bus passes) then over 60's could have bike hires linked in to a population health study
- branding on bikes is a key detail - it funded free bikes in CPH in 1995 and started the early Nextbike systems in 2005. Taking rates from Willeys or BRAD media rate guides you get about 40 branded bikes for same price as a single 6-sheet poster (bus shelter) - a smart deal could have a principal sponsor with overlaid events and other 'spot' campaigns on same fleet
- for large sites this needs to be integral in the total resource consumption management. When one company delivered ways to reduce demand for the for staff parking on a large site they saved £2000 per week on car parking space provision costs
- For large NHS sites there sill be a substantial depletion of the budgets taken away from clinical spending to provide, manage & maintain car parking. The Royal In Glasgow spent £7.5m on a small multi-storey car park, whilst bus passengers have to get across traffic t/from M8 J14 to use bus stops with no bus shelters
There is a critical mass size though - as JCDecaux wouldn't touch anything smaller then 250 bikes
A suggestion for Edinburgh - a cluster around Airport, to connect tram/P&R/Long stay parking & airfreight on old Turnhouse Airport site/Ingliston Showground & Conference Venue _ plus second cluster for Bioquarter/RIE to link with Sheriffhall P&R/Shawfair Station with possible addition of Newcraighall Station & P&R
Consider this as training & release programme for Saughton (SPS) with offenders on licence working to deliver scheme
Look also at the options to develop Brompton leasing/hire, as Hitrans has done with progressive roll-out of Brompton Dock hire points where a 1.6 m² unit can support up to 32 bikes out on long term hire and run with no hired wired connection/minimal groundworks (solar panel powered, 4g/5g data link) plus the long term lease option that can cost less than £2/day for a fully supported (ie servicing & exchange (for refurb machine) after agreed period) Hitrnas has now installed 4 units just outside 3 stations -Oban, Inverness, Elgin (as getting any sensible commercial deal with Network Rail is abysmally slow until they get their bureaucracy sorted) plus on the ferry pier at Stornoway
Hitrans has taken on the Bewegen EAPC which have been popular, mainly for University of H&I to station, and station to NHS Raigmore (3.5Km including a hill)
Current good looking PBS are Nextbike now going for 20 years, Beryl, and Transdev (IIRC ex Veolia, Ex OYbike, also 20 years operation) - need to also check on Clear Channel (started in 1997) and Call-a-Bike (DB-Germany only, started 2001)
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