How Chicago’s new bike-sharing program compares

With a new bike-sharing program arriving in Chicago, ModeShift wanted to see how the Chicago program compared to what’s happening in other cities. So we contacted Minneapolis and Denver, two cities that have rolled out bike-sharing programs in recent months.

The Minneapolis program, called Nice Ride Minnesota, just celebrated its 10,000th trip. The Denver program – operated by B-Cycle, the same company providing bikes for Chicago – launched this past spring after a successful pilot program during the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

Here’s how bike-sharing programs in three cities compare.

Chicago

The basics
Name: B-Cycle
Number of bicycles and stations: 100 bikes at 6 stations.
Where you can get one: McCormick Place, Museum Campus, Buckingham Fountain, John Hancock Center, Daley Plaza and The Chicago Park District headquarters (541 N. Fairbanks Ct.)
When: April through October.
Cost: $35 for 30 days, $45 for 60 days or $55 for 90 days. The first half hour is free and each additional half hour is $2.50. Riders who don't purchase a membership can use a credit card for a $10 daily membership pass.

Funding
Bike and Roll, a private bike rental business, took out a business loan to fund Chicago’s new system.

What people are saying
There’s been a mix of excitement, a little skepticism and a good dose of “let’s wait and see.”

Minneapolis

The basics
Name: Nice Ride
Number of bicycles and stations: 1,000 bikes at 60 stations
Where you can get one: Bikes are available in three neighborhoods: downtown, Uptown and the University of Minnesota campus. Bikes are available in an area measuring roughly 5 miles by 2-3 miles.
When: June through October.
Cost: $60 per year membership. The first 30 minutes are free. After 30 minutes, you pay $1.50 for an additional 30 minutes. Costs increase with time.

Funding
The majority of the funding came from two grants: $1 million from the federally-funded Transit for Livable Communities and $1 million from Blue Cross Blue Shield, which was part of a tobacco settlement that Minnesota, along with some other states, won.

What people are saying
So far, the bikes are “not disappearing and they’re getting used,” said Don Phlaum, a transportation engineer who works for the City of Minneapolis. But, he added, “There is still a lot of debate whether this is good investment of public [money].”

With kiosks set up in three high density neighborhoods, some residents ask “Why not us?” This question has been raised often in parts of northern Minneapolis where more residents are people of color.

The future
Phlaum says the test is going to occur in the first 2-3 years: “Is this thing still going to keep people interested?” he asked. “It begs the question if this will become a region wide.”

Phlaum said the goal is for Nice Ride to become independent of the city. “We see our role as getting it going and supporting it,” he said. “But it’s really going to have to stand on its own two feet.”

Denver

The basics
Name: Denver B-Cycle
Number of stations and bikes: 400 bikes at 40 stations
Where you can get one: In downtown Denver stations appear every 4 or 5 blocks. Other stations are located at Cherry Creek Shopping Center and University of Denver
Cost: Pay a $65 annual membership fee. First 30 minutes are free. Cost increases with time.

Funding
Denver Bike Share is a private-public partnership. The city formed Denver Bike Share as a non-profit, which was charged with raising the money for Denver B-Cycle. Plus, the Democratic National Convention Hearst Committee donated $1 million to help get it started.

What people are saying
“It is a surprise that people are using [the bikes] on the weekend for social trips, which is another area of opportunity,” said Piep van Heuven, director of BikeDenver, a bicycling advocacy organization.

The future
Van Heuven was pleased with how the program brought together city departments around biking in a way that had never happened before in Denver. “The intense focus required to launch this project created this incredible movement,” she said.