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Could the BCC Citibike proposal be yet another example of the reliance on
commercial deals where the main concept is not supported by the small
print (and by the 'real' agenda)?<br><br>
MY.................<br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 15:03:29
-0800 (PST)<br>
Subject: [WorldCityBike] Systems integration and the lack of it<br><br>
Richard Layman<br>
Citizens Planning Coalition<br>
<a href="http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/" eudora="autourl">
http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com</a><br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Wednesday, January 07, 2009</b></h2><br><br>
<a name="600713270613434220"></a><br>
<h3><b>Systems integration and the lack of it </b></h3><br><br>
It happens that one of the things I am interested in is the diffusion of
innovation. In college (not required for class), I happened to come
across the work of
<a href="http://www.ciadvertising.org/studies/student/98_fall/theory/hornor/paper1.html">
<font color="#0000FF"><b>Everett Rogers</a></b></font>, who was a leader
in the study of innovation and its adoption (first in the seminal text,
<i>Communication of Innovations</i>, then in the expanded version
<i>Diffusion of Innovations</i>). His dissertation studied the adoption
of agricultural innovation. (Note that the field of community development
is derived from Agricultural Extension, and the creation of that model of
technical assistance starting in the 1860s.) Malcolm Gladwell and
Geoffrey Moore have extended and amplified this work.<br>
<br>
If you are interested in technology, I am sure you are aware of the
classic discussion of
<a href="http://www.klondikeconsulting.com/blog/?p=197">
<font color="#0000FF"><b>VHS vs. Beta</a></b></font> (or by extension
Windows-based computers vs. the Macintosh) in terms of success. Another
example is VHF vs. UHF television broadcasting (in short, Dumont didn't
get rich, even though his stations were the basis of what became Fox
Television decades later), or the failure of AM Stereo, because the U.S.
government under the Reagan Administration wasn't willing to pick a
winning technology, it left that to the market.<br><br>
I bring this up because we are now running into that problem in DC with
bicycle sharing. Washcycle points out, in
"<a href="http://www.thewashcycle.com/2009/01/say-hello-to-dcs-third-public-bicycle-program.html#comments">
<font color="#0000FF"><b>Say Hello to DC's Third Public Bicycle
Program!</a></b></font>" that the National Park Service has created
its own bicycle sharing program, as has the U.S. Congress. These are
bicycle "fleet" programs, like DC Government's small program
for employees. Both are in addition to the nascent SmartBike DC program
that launched in August as North America's first public bicycle sharing
program modelled after successful programs in Europe such as Velib.<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rllayman/2864000284/">
<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/2864000284_938886503b_m.jpg" width=240 height=180 alt="SmartBikeDC station, 7th and F Streets NW, Washington, DC">
</a><br>
DC Smart Bike station.<br><br>
When the U.S. Congress system was proposed (discussed in
"<a href="http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2008/04/us-house-of-representatives-to-launch.html">
<font color="#0000FF"><b>U.S. House of Representatives to launch
bikesharing program</a></b></font>"), Washcycle and I
counter-proposed that an institutional form of membership in
<a href="http://www.smartbikedc.com/"><b>DC's SmartBike</a></b> program
should be created, that institutions could buy into the program by adding
bicycle sharing stations, and have different terms of use and payment. I
don't know if that idea is being considered. I know that one of the
problems with advertising-supported systems like DC's (by
<a href="http://www.adshel.com/content.aspx?ID=31&ParentID=27&MicrositeID=0&Page=1">
<font color="#0000FF"><b>Adshel</a></b></font>) is that the contract
terms are very specific and the ability to be flexible is constrained by
the contract provisions.<br><br>
I find this to be another example of deploying different technologies,
rather than agreeing to a common system or platform. It doesn't surprise
me that federal agencies and local government can't or won't work
together. I don't know if this yields other lessons that can be employed
by other cities considering launching bicycle sharing systems.<br><br>
My advice is to build institutional buy in before launching the system,
come up with a way for organizations to have different kinds of
memberships within the same system (i.e., colleges, businesses, and
government agencies), and develop a common platform.<br><br>
Another problem in the DC region (and a problem in Paris too), is because
of insurance requirements and because of the three different political
jurisdictions (DC, MD, and VA), there isn't a common system across
jurisdictions. (Although the bikes aren't styled in a way that you would
want to go on long trips...) This also limits take up or acceptance and
diffusion of the innovation.<br><br>
Also see the past blog entry (paper reprint):<br><br>
<b>
<a href="http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2008/07/ideas-for-making-bicycling-irresistible.html">
Ideas for Making Cycling Irresistible in DC</a></b><br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rllayman/2863189731/">
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/2863189731_1b4ee9ab6e_m.jpg" width=240 height=180 alt="Bikesharing at Adams Morgan Day 2008">
</a><br>
Bikesharing at Adams Morgan Day 2008<br><br>
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