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Thursday, July 17, 2008

Rental Bicycles on the Way

By Dan Mckay
Journal Staff Writer
       Get used to sharing the road, drivers.
    City Hall is negotiating a contract that could give Albuquerque a real reason to toot its horn — a fleet of hundreds of bicycles available for rent, the largest "SmartBike" program in the country.
    Mayor Martin Chávez estimates the project will make 420 to 600 bicycles available throughout the city starting next year. He announced Wednesday that the city is working on the project with Clear Channel Outdoor, which responded to a request for proposals.
    "With gas at $4 a gallon and climbing, the motorists of today may be the cyclists of tomorrow," said Craig Degenhardt, president of the nonprofit BikeABQ and cycling instructor.
    Albuquerque taxpayers won't have to fund the program, Chávez said. Instead, the city will provide Clear Channel with 10 sites on city property for advertising.
    The program would otherwise cost about $1 million a year, according to an estimate by Clear Channel.
    "It helps bolster the image of Albuquerque as a bicycle-friendly community," Chávez said.
    The price for bike rentals hasn't been set. Sally Adams, general manager of Clear Channel Outdoor New Mexico, said that in other communities, annual passes are sold for roughly $40, or customers pay by the hour.
    Clear Channel will establish a Web site for customers to enter their credit card information and fill out a consent form. They will be issued an electronic card they can waive in front of a screen at the kiosk, releasing a bike.
    Clear Channel will station the bikes at 25 locations. Bikes will be monitored through a Global Positioning System.
    The "SmartBike" system is popular in France and other parts of Europe, but it's just getting started in the United States, officials said.
    "It makes bicycling accessible to just about everyone," said Ben Savoca, vice president of BikeABQ. "There's no longer an excuse of not having a bike."
    The bikes should be good for tourists and people who want to make short trips, such as getting groceries, Savoca said.
    Adams said she envisions people getting off the Rail Runner train, then renting a bike for their trip to work.
    The bikes will be green with a stylized "Q" on them. Clear Channel hopes to start the program with 15 kiosks, then add 10 later.
    The bikes will be available to adults only, perhaps as soon as late spring or early summer, Adams said. The company wants people to wear helmets while they ride and might provide a voucher for customers to get a helmet if they purchase an annual pass, she said.
    Neither city nor state law requires adult cyclists to wear helmets.
    Councilor Ken Sanchez said the city needs to find a way to keep bicyclists safer on the streets but that "these alternatives are a real asset to our community and country."
    Angelina Lopez, a project manager for BikeABQ, which worked with Clear Channel on the program, said sharing bikes could help Albuquerque's air quality. The city is close to the federal limit for ground-level ozone, or smog.
    The bikes are easy to get off and on, and they have a comfortable upright stance for the rider, she said. They have three speeds, with a basket in front.
    Kiosk locations haven't been determined, but Downtown, Old Town, Nob Hill and Uptown were mentioned as possibilities.
    Cyclists will be responsible for stolen bikes, which Adams said could cost $500. The company can charge customers on their credit cards, Adams said.
    She envisions, however, that most people will ride the bikes from kiosk to kiosk. If you choose to store the bike elsewhere, however, you're responsible for it, Adams said. The company isn't planning to provide locks.