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Tag Archive for: bike-share

The Kill Bike-Share Bill Becomes Law — But It No Longer Kills Bike-Share

October 7, 2022/by Laura McCamy

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 371, which imposes an unprecedented insurance requirement on scooter-sharing systems, raising costs for operators and users. CalBike campaigned hard against this bill, and we’re disappointed that it passed and became law, but our diligent advocacy succeeded in reducing the potential harm from this measure.

AB 371, the Kill Bike-Share Bill, was first introduced in 2021 but stalled out in the Senate and became a two-year bill, thanks largely to strong opposition from bicycle advocates like CalBike and shared micromobility operators. The original bill imposed insurance requirements on shared bikes and scooters that were disproportionate to the harm these lightweight and low-speed vehicles can cause. It set personal injury limits higher than the insurance required of people who drive 2-ton automobiles.

Evolution from terrible to not so bad

The original impetus for the bill was pedestrians getting injured when riders park scooters carelessly, leaving them blocking the sidewalk. The hazard is particularly acute for the elderly and people with sight impairments who might not be able to avoid tripping on a scooter. Shared bikes are less prone to this issue because they’re less tippy and many of them have designated docks for parking.

The author made AB 371 into a two-year bill, so it came back in this legislative session. Many of you emailed your legislators to ask them to oppose the bill, and CalBike worked closely with the legislator and our allies to ramp up the pressure to change the bill.

In the end, we didn’t get everything we wanted, but the pressure made a difference. The final bill doesn’t require insurance for shared bikes (though it requires a study of bikes). That means California bike sharing programs, including those operated by nonprofits and transit agencies and the ones funded through state Clean Mobility Options grants, will still be able to operate. And the insurance requirement for scooters was reduced to a level that may not put scooter sharing systems out of business.

CalBike will remain vigilant about this issue, and we will oppose any efforts to require bicycle insurance on shared or private bikes. We keep up the fight with your support and help. Please consider chipping in so we can continue and expand our advocacy

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/E-bikes.jpg 1365 2048 Laura McCamy https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Laura McCamy2022-10-07 17:16:102022-10-07 17:16:12The Kill Bike-Share Bill Becomes Law — But It No Longer Kills Bike-Share

Voices of the Coalition Opposed to Kill Bike-Share Bill

June 27, 2022/by Jared Sanchez
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https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/bike-share-narrow.jpg 481 1024 Jared Sanchez https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Jared Sanchez2022-06-27 15:43:162024-07-22 10:18:54Voices of the Coalition Opposed to Kill Bike-Share Bill

Shared Micromobility: the Future of Equitable Transportation  

June 1, 2022/by Kevin Claxton
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https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/44006449071_58830a130d_z.jpg 427 640 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2022-06-01 17:28:012024-07-22 10:19:54Shared Micromobility: the Future of Equitable Transportation  

Realizing the Potential of Bike and Scooter Sharing Systems

February 28, 2022/by Laura McCamy

Jouke Peutz has split his life between the Netherlands and California. He loves living in the U.S., but his Dutch childhood instilled a deep love of biking. He’s pursuing that passion for biking, in collaboration with CalBike, with a research project to develop best practices and a general framework to improve the partnership between the public and private sector to aid disadvantaged communities through micromobility.

CalBike advocates for the inclusion of shared micromobility in public transportation systems. That will ensure that the cost remains affordable, that micromobility programs serve all neighborhoods equitably, and that there are cohesive support platforms and incentives for users. Jouke’s research will help us make a case for public micromobility.

CalBike collaborates with a researcher inspired by his Dutch biking roots

Jouke Peutz didn’t start a graduate degree in Community Development at UC Davis with a plan to focus on bikes. “I was very set on sticking with buildings since I came from an architecture background,” he says. 

Then he took a class on bicycle infrastructure and design that called him back to a childhood where, he recalls, “I had all my freedom on my bicycle. I learned life lessons on my bicycle. I biked through the rain, the sun. I had a deep connection to my bike.” Now, Jouke says, “My whole research has oriented from looking at buildings to looking at bicycling. The funny thing is that they are very much connected.”

His grandparents still ride, regularly going across the border to Germany on their e-bikes. “The bike is what gives them their freedom, too,” he says. 

He wants to bring that freedom to biking in the U.S., but he recognizes the challenge. “We’re trying to copy things from the Netherlands, but it never really works,” Jouke says. Intersections that “look Dutch” function very differently here because the U.S. has its own bike culture.

How shared micromobility can promote transportation justice in California 

Jouke’s research project is titled “Facilitating market-based micromobility in disadvantaged communities in California,” and will look at how to bridge the gap between government and the private sector to better serve disadvantaged communities. Through a literature review and interviews with key stakeholders, he hopes to answer the question of how California state agencies can develop and coordinate micromobility in partnership with private operators.

Jouke’s research is more than an academic exercise. He sees it as a gateway to improving people’s lives.

“Transportation is a main factor in people’s life success, whether that’s healthwise or economicwise,” he says. “People who don’t live a wealthy lifestyle typically live in communities they get pushed into and they rely on public transportation to get work or groceries.” 

He particularly wants to make sure that people in disadvantaged communities don’t get left behind in the transition away from carbon-based transportation. “What does that mean if you’re told you cannot drive anymore or need to buy an expensive EV?” Jouke says. “That’s where micromobility could play an important role.”

CalBike has helped connect him with stakeholders and supported him in his research. “We’re excited to see what Jouke’s research produces,” says Dave Snyder, CalBike’s Executive Director. “CalBike is focused on transforming the way we view micromobility. Bike sharing shouldn’t be viewed as an elite urban amenity but as an essential public transportation connection. Having evidence to show the benefits of micromobility will help us make that case.”

“The beautiful thing about bicycles is they connect the wealthiest people and the poorest people,” says Jouke. “I do really believe micromobility will be a big part of our future in transportation.”

Bike-share in danger in California

Unfortunately, California is in danger of becoming a state with no bike or scooter sharing. A bill moving through the California Senate, AB 371, would impose an unprecedented insurance requirement on all bike-share operators, including public transit systems and nonprofits. 

Micromobility is the future, and we can’t let this regressive bill stop it before it reaches its full potential. Please email your California Senator today and ask them to vote NO on AB 371. 

Micromobility and much more at the California Bicycle Summit

At the California Bicycle Summit, April 6-9, 2022, in Oakland, we’ll discuss equitable micromobility with Jouke and representatives from companies that provide bike and scooter sharing systems in California. You won’t want to miss that, plus 30 breakout sessions, bike tours, parties, and more. Register today.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/E-bikes.jpg 1365 2048 Laura McCamy https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Laura McCamy2022-02-28 15:56:242022-06-01 17:24:50Realizing the Potential of Bike and Scooter Sharing Systems

Clean Mobility Options Awards Will Bring Bike Sharing to Underserved Communities

July 20, 2021/by Kevin Claxton

CalBike applauds California’s Clean Mobility Options (CMO) program for its latest round of zero-emission transit grants, one-third of which are for bike share programs or include a bike sharing component. The program will distribute $18 million to provide cleaner and better transit options in underserved communities and $2 million for Native American tribal governments. One of the recipients is Downtown Bikeshare in Redding, administered by Shasta Living Streets, a fiscally-sponsored project of Calbike.

Shasta Living Streets delivers on a decade of vision and planning

Shasta Living Streets is delivering on a ten-year vision of a set of coordinated services and amenities that make biking a real option for people in Redding and the surrounding area.   Although the region is home to hundreds of miles of gorgeous wilderness biking, the City of Redding didn’t offer good connections between those trails and destinations in town. Redding’s Sacramento River Trail has been named one of the four best biking trails in the U.S. by the Rails to Trails Conservancy, but locals and visitors couldn’t reach them by bike. 

Shasta Living Streets Redding Bikeway Celebration
Shasta Living Streets Downtown Redding Bikeway Celebration

Shasta Living Streets hosted a grand opening in collaboration with the City of Redding and other partners on July 15, 2021, to celebrate the completion of the first safe, two-way protected bikeway connecting Downtown Redding to the Sacramento River Trail. A complete 5-mile Downtown Connector Loop Trail is planned, and when completed, the bikeway will take riders past the Shasta Bike Depot, which will be run by Shasta Living Streets. The Depot, which will be a hub providing a gathering place and services to help connect riders and help get more people on bikes, is scheduled to open in Spring 2022. Read CalBike’s full article on the Shasta Bike Depot. 

The current plan is for the new bike sharing system to launch within a few months after the Shasta Bike Depot (though pandemic delays have added an extra layer of uncertainty to opening dates). In addition to bike share, the Depot will provide e-bike tours, long-term bike parking, in-person information, and community-building events.

Downtown Bikeshare offers Redding clean, active mobility options

​​The $1 million CMO grant will allow Downtown Bikeshare to deliver services including community engagement, planning, and launch plus 70 bikes, stations, staff, administration, and maintenance of Downtown Bikeshare operations for four years. Shasta Living Streets is partnering with the Redding-based McConnell Foundation to administer the CMO grant. Shasta Living Streets Executive Director Anne Thomas is thrilled that the grant gives her organization funding to work with residents to create a bike share system that truly serves the community. 

“This grant focuses us on the downtown community and addressing what people need,” Thomas said. “We know that nonprofits managing bike share is a model that has proven to be effective. Now that we know we have the funding, we can work directly with the community on planning.”

Shasta Bike Depot under construction
Shasta Bike Depot under construction

The Shasta Bike Depot location near the core of downtown Redding is an ideal location for outreach. Downtown is an opportunity zone with many residents living in affordable housing. Thomas plans to have staff meet with residents in their buildings to discover how Downtown Bikeshare can best serve them and learn what they need to overcome barriers to using the system. The CMO grant will allow her organization to help people learn to ride, find the best bike routes, understand how to carry groceries on a bike, or whatever assistance they want.

Thomas applauded the CMO for recognizing that bike share systems can benefit smaller cities as well as dense urban areas. “What’s special about this funding is that the CMO administrators recognized the needs of underserved communities like ours and helped us with this money,” she said. Thomas sees Downtown Bikeshare as an essential transit option for residents. Bikeshare is, she notes, “the cheapest transit you could ever get” if communities recognize it as transit.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mail-Attachment.jpeg 1112 1600 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2021-07-20 17:04:402021-07-22 12:43:55Clean Mobility Options Awards Will Bring Bike Sharing to Underserved Communities

AB 371 Goes Dormant and Bike Share Lives — for Now

July 19, 2021/by Kevin Claxton

Thanks to CalBike and the “all-powerful bicycle lobby,” AB 371, the Kill Bike Share Bill, has halted its journey through the California legislature. The bill included a burdensome and unfair insurance requirement for bike and scooter sharing systems that would have ended shared micromobility in California. The bad news is that we might have to fight this fight all over again next year.

Kill Bike Share Bill could return in 2022

AB 371 isn’t technically dead — it is a two-year bill, which gives it another chance to pass the legislature in the 2022 legislative session. 

A lot could happen between now and 2022. The bill’s author could decide not to bring it back, or he could revise it to remove the insurance requirement. CalBike will continue to work hard for one of those outcomes.

However, unprecedented bike share operator indemnity seems to be a zombie idea that just won’t die. CalBike and our allies succeeded in excising a similar insurance requirement from a bill in 2020, and yet it came back again in AB 371.

Contradictory California policies

California desperately needs more carbon-free transportation options to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. To further that goal, the state’s recently-announced Clean Mobility Opportunity (CMO) grants included several bike sharing programs. 

Ironically, the insurance requirements in AB 371 are at odds with the state’s policies because they would put an end to all bike share in California. The insurance requirement, as currently written, would make system operators liable not only for accidents related to equipment failure but for those caused by bike share users. Such an insurance policy doesn’t currently exist and, if it did, it would be so expensive that it would make bike and scooter sharing systems impossible to operate. This would not only put venture capital-backed systems like Lime and Lyft out of business; it would also end the LA Metro municipal bike share and close down the very projects California’s CMO has funded.

Bike sharing systems have a tremendous safety record. A 2016 study found that bike share riders are less likely to get into accidents than people on their own bikes. If legislators are worried about traffic injuries not covered by insurance, shared micromobility is not the target with the most significant impact. 

About 16.6% of California motorists are uninsured — the tenth highest rate in the nation. That’s almost 2.5 million uninsured, 3000-pound, gas-powered vehicles on our streets. There’s a problem worth solving.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/E-bikes.jpg 1365 2048 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2021-07-19 16:35:532022-06-01 17:24:22AB 371 Goes Dormant and Bike Share Lives — for Now

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