Lighting Improved at BT Stop at University City Kroger

UCB/Glade Sbnd #1314, 2/27/17

Lighting has been improved at the Blacksburg Transit Stop on University City Blvd. near Glade Road and the University City Kroger. Electricity now is running underground from the Kroger sign to the bus shelter.  Kroger is providing the electricity for the bus shelter at no charge. “The lighting has improved safety and attractiveness of the area,” said Tom Fox, director of Blacksburg Transit.  “Our customers should feel more comfortable at night, and our operators can see inside the shelter more clearly.” “We appreciate Kroger’s working with us and providing the electricity,” added Fox. In addition to the University City store, Kroger also has a store on S. Main Street in Blacksburg.

Blacksburg seeking grant to start bike share program for new river valley

Twas very exciting to hear this article was coming and then to see it today in the Roanoke Times. I believe the initial interview with Director Tom Fox was held Wednesday, February 22, 2017 in the late afternoon. Apparently the RT reporter Yann Ranaivo also talked to Mayor Rordam and Christianburg Councilman Brad Stipes, which added more regional support. The online article link is http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/blacksburg/blacksburg-seeking-grant-to-start-bike-share-program/article_b6b89e2e-a673-5c6c-910f-b560db8b6fa1.html. Director Fox also presented an overview during a Feb 21 Town Council Worksession that reporter Ranaivo also attended (see agenda at http://blacksburg.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=22&clip_id=2008); the meeting minutes should be available soon. And in case you were wondering what bikeshare (or bike share) is: "Bike sharing is an innovative transportation program, ideal for short distance trips providing users the ability to pick up a bicycle at any self-serve bike sharing station in the network and return it to any bike sharing station located within the system’s service area." See "Bike Sharing in the United States: State of the Practice and Guide to Implementation," Sept. 2012, USDOT FHWA. Online: http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/pdf/Programs_Promote_bikeshareintheus.pdf, page 4.

Bike share feasibility in the New River Valley (Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Virginia Tech)

Contemplating bike share feasibility in the New River Valley (Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Virginia Tech): I am reading Dr Elliot Fishman's feasibility study for an Australian city, http://sensibletransport.org.au/project/bike-share-feasibility-study-for-adelaide/ The report can be downloaded at the bottom. Issues seem to be the need for a preference survey, and the "risk" of low ridership (less than about 2 trips per bike per day). I think the infrastructure cost of well-branded, visible bike docks/racks will be an issue, as well as the helmet issue (not required, but recommended - a logistical challenge for providing, cleaning, etc.).

Potential bike share location (using regular bike racks on S. Main St at First and Main) near Zoës Kitchen, 1500 S. Main Street, Blacksburg, VA.

Of course, the other issue is where to put bike docks. Here is a 2011 map that has been somewhat updated of existing bike racks (not exhaustive, but a good start). See https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&mid=14eKyjdgcfE0vYfNFHOLpL_Q2EG0&ll=37.1874491701044%2C-80.41845339999998&z=13.

Existing Bike Racks in Blacksburg and Christiansburg (not exhaustive)

A 2011 map was also created for Virginia Tech: see https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1mWIVUgvo30u_jSWeJ4DpA71lC7g&hl=en&ll=37.222698226227976%2C-80.42533749999996&z=15

Lots of work to do!

Bike Share in Blacksburg: Social Bicycles at The Retreat

I had joined Social Bicycles as a bike-share member back in April 2016 in Phoenix, AZ as I commuted most days to the American Planning Association National Meeting, so today I was able to join The Retreat network too near Virginia Tech, the first official bike share in Blacksburg, VA, as far as I know. Not sure if I'll ever need it, but I plan to go out there to see if it works and take a maiden voyage soon.

The Retreat bike share map

Visiting The Retreat and SoBi's Retreat-branded bikeshare bikes (in white), Sept 2016

BT Bus Shelter at Main/Landsdowne Sbnd (First & Main, near Zoe's), stop #1608

Check out the new shelter installed 3/2/16. It has been a long struggle to get this completed. Still to come is an electrical connection for the interior shelter light and a minimum 5-foot wide cement strip in place of the grass strip between the sidewalk and curb edge. https://www.facebook.com/RideBT/photos/a.420611131481204.1073741833.411146475761003/470535229822127/?type=3&theater

From BT's Facebook Page 

Blacksburg Transit case study

Coming back from TRB we all realized the rich set of data and potential case studies we have to share! Oh and DC's Capital bike share is awesome (see 1/9/16 entry)! Blacksburg and VT need to collaborate with bike-share data from Day 1.

Capital Bikeshare, Washington DC

Union Station, Washington, D.C.

The idea of not owning a vehicle has broad appeal - imagine no insurance, no maintenance, no storage or parking fees, or parking passes. Gone is the fear of parking citations or feeding meters. The benefits go on and on including health benefits, reduced emissions, good parking and more. But some people have trouble imagining a life without car-ownership. The concept is pretty simple: Instead of paying an average of $8,698 annually (nearly $725 a month)[1], using a bikeshare or carshare is a way to replace or supplement vehicle ownership. The "share" part means a person rents a bike or car at one station and returns it to another station. And bikesharing and carsharing appears to be increasing in popularity, with systems in place throughout the U.S. in about 60 cities and universities.[2]

I recently decided to give it a try. Prior to visiting Washington DC for a conference, a quick online search revealed the www.capitalbikeshare.com website. I found that a bikeshare station was located right next to Union Station, where my Megabus trip ended. The D.C. Bikes smartphone app for an Apple (IOS) is available, and I used either Spotcycle or the Transit App for finding bike stations and planning routes.  It does take a little bit of planning; the apps and the website also show how many available bikes are there and how many empty bike docks are open, and only once during my visit was there a time when all the docks were full at a bike station near the Convention Center where the conference was located.

Upon arrival in Washington, D.C. my first day, it was a short walk from Union Station to the nearest station and I found the Columbus Circle/Union State bike station just across the street. Reading the website ahead of time is useful, but you can use the kiosk and printed posted information at the bike station to learn how it operates. I inserted my charge card, selected a 3-day membership, and was ready to go; I had learned early from a colleague that to minimize cost, keep trips to under 30 minutes, and there are no additional charges! So the trick is to find a station within 30 minutes and dock your bike. The kiosk was a bit hard to manipulate - you have to hit the keys pretty hard to get them to activate but that was about my only complaint. You are issued a code that you use to unlock a bike and then you are on your way.

You can choose to have a print out of the code if you want, and that also includes a timestamp, so I printed them each time (you can also print out summaries of your trips afterwards as well). The bikes themselves are sturdy, 3-speed bikes with front and rear lights, fenders, and even a handy front-rack with bungee cord to tie down a bag or other small item. Helmets are available too but I brought my own along, as well as my deglo-jacket. Frankly I never felt unsafe as speeds are low, vehicle drivers seemed pretty aware of bikes, and bike lanes do exist in many parts of DC. 

The Transportation Research Board is an annual  conference that has taken place for 95 years, so it seemed fitting to try Capital Bikeshare while there. And the popularity is growing - visit the Capital Bikeshare website and select the System Data tab to download information on trip history data by month. A quick review of the latest data revealed that for 706,004 trips completed within 3 months, 85 percent were completed by registered members and 15 percent by casual members like myself (1 or 3 day memberships). 

The average trip duration was 16 minutes and the longest trip was 23 hours, 50 minutes, likely a case where a bike was rented and then parked overnight before being returned to another station. Mileage data was not included, but I understand that the majority of trips are less than 1.5 miles in length[3]. Virginia Tech has released a request for proposals for a bikeshare program, here in Blacksburg, VA. I hope the decision makers bring it soon! While it may not be the option of choice for everyone, I am confident that with "over 36,000 students, faculty, and staff, with a vast majority living within bicycling and walking distance to campus"[4] that bikeshare in our area will also be a popular option for commuting to, within, and outside of the university campus. A Virginia Tech bikeshare program will benefit both the university members as well as non-university town residents who may want to keep their car (or bike) at home, or not even own one.

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[1] Annual Cost to Own and Operate a Vehicle Falls to $8,698, Finds AAA. http://newsroom.aaa.com/2015/04/annual-cost-operate-vehicle-falls-8698-finds-aaa/ (April, 2015).

[2] Commuting, Shared-Use Mobility, Smart Infrastructure, Climate Change, and Rural Transportation Trends, http://www.vtrans.org/resources/VTransTrends_Commuting_and_Mobility.pdf (Sept, 2014).

[3] Arlington County Capital Bikeshare Transit Development Plan Fiscal Years 2013 to 2018. http://www.bikearlington.com/tasks/sites/bike/assets/File/TDP_Summary.pdf

[4] Virginia Tech Request for Proposal #0038495 for Bike Share Program (April 21, 2015) Info at: http://www.bidsvirginia.com/virginia_bids/bids-ADP14296226510000628.htm