Rise and Decline of Bike Share

Five Years Ago, Bike Share and Scooter Rental were Neck and Neck. Now Scooters FAR Outpace Bike Share

This is a fable for our times. It was just a bit more than five years ago that bike share programs really go going. I will use history from the Seattle Bike Blog (SBB) as illustrative of bike share.

The first SBB post on the subject was made on May 5, 2014. By August 25, 2014, the headline: 

"It’s really happening. Today, you can buy a membership for a Seattle public bike share system."

 Somewhat grumpily, I forecast, on July 29, 2014:

"They’ll later use our tax dollars to subsidize the bike share system when it fails due to their policies. Perhaps they’ll emulate NYC in outlawing large soft drinks and in arresting cyclists for imagined offenses."

 At this point, the system was run by Pronto, a subsidiary of Alta Planning. It used fixed bike stations and tried to work around the Seattle helmet laws in order to draw in casual riders who didn't happen to bring their own helmets along on the chance they might want to rent a bike. Before too long, this became a drain, leading them to charge for helmet rentals. On May 11, 2015, SBB reported:

"If you buy a 24-hour or three-day pass to use Pronto Cycle Share, you will now have to pay an extra $2 to check out a helmet."

It also became clear that the service area with bike stations was pretty limited, and, as a result, on June 8, 2015, SBB reported:

"...the biggest problem with Pronto is that the service area is simply too small to meet most people’s needs. And under the current business model, the system would expand slowly over time as more private sponsorship investments or city budget line items lead the way. It’s a plan that creates solid benefits for relatively little public investment, but it’s not a plan that can truly revolutionize transportation and low-income access to bicycling in Seattle. 

"That’s why the city has put together a visionary plan for a massive, fast expansion of Pronto that would increase the service area from five square miles to 42 square miles..."

Bike share was growing by leaps and bounds! However, cracks were beginning to appear. While Seattle proposed a massive expenditure to dramatically increase the size of Pronto, and (move in to management of Pronto as well), the Feds said "nope." By October 27, 2015, SBB reported:

"...the city still intends to move forward with an expansion. Mayor Ed Murray’s proposed 2016 budget includes $5 million for expanding Pronto. If that funding is approved by the City Council, the path forward really hinges on whether the city focuses on expanding the station area or on electric bike technology."

Scooters - Cheaper Than Ebikes, Faster than Pedal Bikes

Electric bikes - well that IS a new development indeed. Things went down a bit further, when, on February 4, 2016, the SBB post headline read:

"Pronto needs city buyout before end of March, how did we get here?"

And things continued downhill for the Pronto, station-based bike share. By October 10, 2016, SBB reported:

"Though it’s not final, Seattle has indicated that it intends to select a young Quebec-based company to launch an all-new electric-assist bike share system. 

"That means both Motivate, the current Pronto Cycle Share operator, and the existing Pronto equipment are out if the deal goes through. The city is now negotiating directly with Quebec-based Bewegen to finalize a deal."

Now, bikes were only a part of the solution if they were electric assist, though bike stations were still the fundamental backbone of the system. By October 20, 2016, the SBB headline read:

"Council faces a choice: Kill Pronto now or make lemonade out of the existing stations?"

There it was, bike share, at least if it wasn't "electric" was going away - and fast. In January, on the 13th, SBB headlined the final resolution:

"Mayor Ed Murray has scrapped his bike share expansion plan, ending the city’s efforts to create a new public e-assist bike system to replace the doomed Pronto system set to shut down March 31. This officially ends a frustrating era..."

And so it was. Bike share was dead in Seattle. A victim of inflexible docking stations, mandatory helmet laws, and bureaucratic meddling, just to mention three factors. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

On July 19th, 2017, SBB reported on the beginning of dockless bike share. Spin and LimeBike started operation and exceeded the old Pronto system ridership in their first week. They would have done better, but old city rules were still in place that presumed an "ease into the water" approach. The report of the death of bike share was greatly exaggerated. By December 15, 2017, SBB headlined:

"Bike share pilot’s daily ridership blows past Pronto’s lifetime totals, rivals both streetcars combined."

and, in that article, stated:

"...bike share services are already rivaling two streetcar lines that cost about $190 million to build is pretty incredible. Free-floating bike share services have cost the City of Seattle almost nothing. In fact, these companies pay the city permit fees. And at $1/ride, bike share is the cheapest way to get around other than walking or owning your own (not-high-end) bicycle. That’s far, far cheaper than other private mobility services, like car share, taxis and app taxis."

However, this was about the peak for bike share. Instead, the future looked like e bikes and scooters. On August 19, 2018, SBB reviewed the timeline. Notably:

"2018: Lime introduces 15¢ per minute e-bikes, Spin leaves town as it transitions to scooters and ofo leaves town as their China-based business begins imploding. Bike ridership in Seattle increases significantly, smashing bike counter records all over town. Uber-owned Jump joins Lime at the end of the year as the $1 pedal bikes disappear."

Lime Rental Scooter

Scooters are Getting Fancier

Which brings me up to the present. Recently, in downtown Dallas, I noticed scooters ALL OVER THE PLACE. All of them were electrically powered. There was not a single "regular" bike to be had. Things didn't look a whole lot different in Seattle. The story continues to evolve. As with bikes, it appears that many of the people who rent these electric scooters do not understand that they are really renting a small motorcycle and zooming along sidewalks and against traffic is really NOT a good idea. Perhaps our driver licensing system should start by ensuring that  prospective motorists understand that the rules of the road apply to ALL that use wheeled things on public roadways (sidewalks are also part of those roadways) and require people to demonstrate they can do so with scooters and bikes before they move up to more powerful vehicles.

But I digress. Over on SBB, they are arguing that the best thing to do is bring back the dock system, but spend a LOT more money and make the bikes cheap to rent. Somehow, I think most people want a motorized item that they can simply pick up wherever they happen to be. It's been 30 years since the Soviet Union fell...

After Renting, Many People Scooter Along the Sidewalk

Passing of Stan

Stan and No Mo from Historylink

In my post, here, I lamented the passing of one of my television childhood heroes, JP Patches. Last Friday, Stan Boreson joined him. For my loyal reader that isn't from Seattle, Stan Boreson held sway over KING TV, which competed mightily against JP. Still, JP and Stan were friends and joined together many times after they both got cancelled. Stan was a lot more musical than JP. Stan's passing was reported in the Seattle Times here and in the Everett Herald here.

While one my all-time favorites of Stan's was "I Don't Look Good Naked Any More." That song gloried in getting older. His classic was the King's Klubhouse theme shown below. I suspect that a local television personality that made fun of his own Scandinavian heritage is not going to show up again on television in our lifetimes.

RIP Stan. For now, his site remains up here. It has links to may of his classics. How can you go wrong listening to "I saw Hulda Kissing Uncle Sven" or "Yonson From Wisconsin?"

Slow Turn to Fall

The color change is very slow in these big old Maple trees. Taken on Sunday. Hopefully the rain won't ruin the progression.

Tree Spy Report

Big Tree in Seattle Still Looks Pretty Green on October 21

Having had to leave Seattle, my agents are keeping an eye on the Wedgwood Big Leaf Maple trees. As you can see above, on October 21, while a smattering of leaves have dropped, there's still little color change. Spy "Linda A," shown below, shows the girth of the big tree's trunk.

"Linda A" Shows the Scale of This Tree

Hot in Seattle

Some of you, in some colder places, think it is as HOT AS HADES in North Texas. Indeed that would be true if it were not for two things. First, it's really pretty dry here when it gets up above 100F. Second, when you get back inside after the balmy bike ride home, you feel a bit chilly from the air conditioning.

It isn't like that in Seattle. When I got here, it was 93F. That is not a real DRY 93. What's more, since it rarely gets hot up here, hardly anyone has AC. It means they sweat. Quite a bit.

In other factors, I saw a lot more of those "really far right sharrows." I also saw NOBODY riding as far left as the RH wheel in any of those sharrow locations. In fact, I was AMAZED at how comfortable people felt riding really close to the curb at high rates of speed. I guess we're just sissies in North Texas.

In retrospect, I'm not sure I agree any longer with what a couple of ex-Texans once told us when we lived in California: "If I owned Hell and I owned Texas, I'd live in Hell and rent out Texas." Maybe I'm just getting sentimental, but I've enjoyed riding to work each day so far this summer. Maybe you just enjoy heat more as you get OLD.

Bike Friendly Seattle

Bike Rack - AND Smoking Area at SeaTac Airport

At the beginning of July, I was up in Seattle. While there, I noticed that there is now a bike rack at SeaTac Airport. It's co-located with the only remaining place to smoke at SeaTac. Are they trying to send cyclists a message - or smokers?

All I know is that I'd be a little miffed if I came back to my bike at the SeaTac bike rack, to find a cigarette burn on my saddle or paint. ON THE OTHER HAND, if I were riding to SeaTac and wanted to smoke as I locked up or unlocked my bike, what more could I want? Bike Friendly indeed!

Something OLD, Something New...

Richard Nixon was still President of the USA. On his way to whooping my own preferred candidate; George McGovern. That was the year that I last bought a bike with my own money. Earned with my own hands. I was working at the "A&P" (as in "Breaking Away") in north Seattle. Now, that A&P is an "Apple Store." Specifically, it was 1972.

But I digress.

The bike was bought at the store shown below. At THAT time, it was known as "Gregg's Greenlake Cycle." As it turned out, that purchase formed a defining moment in my life as a cyclist. You see, that was the LAST time I ever bought a bike for myself from a cycling store. The bastards screwed me, though it took me many years to fully realize it. Still, I have no doubt that, over the years, these guys have improved mightily since they ARE still in business.

Gregg's Cycle in Seattle. Not a Lot of Bike Parking. Some Things Don't Change Over the Years

The bike was a "Champion Du Monde." It was a smidge more than I could really afford at the time. $100. For that price, I got something equivalent to the FAR more popular (and more expensive) Peugeot UO8. Yup, the same bike you now see on eBay regularly for - about $100. Unless the owner thinks it is collectible somehow. As in the case of the Peugeot, the CDM came with a steel, cottered crank, crappy Simplex shifting gear, and steel rims. The steel rims had dimples in them to create the illusion you could stop when the rims got wet.

Champion Du Monde - It Served Me Well, Even if Far Too Big...
I Named it "Betty Boop."

To make a loooong story less so, that bike is now on its third crank, uncounted wheels, its SECOND derailleur (viva Suntour!), and lots of other bits that got changed out over the years. The reason it is missing a saddle is I donated it to a guy with a bike a couple of years ago. It HAD fenders and a rear rack - both now reside on Frankenbike.

After Enough Miles, Chainstay Paint Starts to Get a Bit Thin...

Remants of the Seat Tube Decal

You may sense a faint touch of bitterness against Gregg's. That's because they sold me a bike that was AT LEAST two sizes too big. I was in High School at the time and the salesman made no attempt at all to do anything more than suck the money out of the dumb kid with as little effort as possible. Still, they did me one favor - they PERMANENTLY cured me of having too much reverence for any bike shop. For that, I will forever be grateful. It's also why you won't see me joining the "buy your bike from a proper bike store" crowd. I KNOW better.

Trust - but Verify

Despite the Gregg's salesman, I DID get my money's worth out of the bike, as you can see from what is left of the paint. Even a frame that is FAR too big for the rider can give many miles of riding pleasure. That bike rode miles in Seattle, Los Angeles, many towns around LA, Everett, and, finally in North Texas. Nowadays, I keep it mainly to remind me that bike shops should not be trusted any more than any other business. In the words of Ronald Reagan - "Trust, but verify." As significantly, that bike was within sight the minute I met my future wife. Better yet, I changed out those steel rims before they killed me. They were gone before the last "close call" I had with a car - around 1974, bombing down Admiral Way in West Seattle at nearly 40MPH when a motorist decided to pull out from a driveway without proper caution. Such an event would not be worthy of even a mention in this blog nowadays. Experience truly is valuable.

Having told y'all about my LAST new bike, I have weakened and bought a second. This one was bought nearly 40 years to the day after the first. Yes, I have to admit that even "Buddy" was a used bike. All I can say is what my wife calls me - "cheap." Well, and it arrived today...

What's in the Box? On the Porch, this Afternoon.

Not From Around Here

It seems that, lately, I've forgotten some of the endearing features of Texas. Today, I got reminded that this place really IS "Like a whole 'nother country!" And I also got reminded that I will never actually BE a Texan. Not even if I try REAL hard.

It started this morning. On the ride in to work, as usual, I saw nobody on a bike. However, between 6:30 and my arrival at work just a smidge after 7, I was waved to by a guy, in the dark who was walking his dog, another man who was simply standing on his porch, and by three other people including a school crossing guard. It is not simply coincidence that Texas posts highway signs that exhort motorists to "Drive Friendly." It is something that is part of the Texas culture. When I first arrived, I was taken aback by sales people coming out of stores as I walked by, simply to say "hello" and be nice. In a NICE way.

Well, it was good to get reminded of this southern hospitality that really is genuine. But on the way home, I got reminded that these friendly sorts are not and never will be MY people. You see, as I headed home, down the crest of the hill on Bedford Road, up the hill, in my lane, hugging the curb came a "salmon" (wrong-way person on a bike).

I knew this was not a teachable moment. Clearly, a guy on a bike riding slowly uphill, against traffic on a five-lane arterial with no shoulder, no parking, and an adjacent sidewalk was simply not thinking very clearly.

So, returning to my antisocial Pacific Northwest roots, I yelled at the guy. "You're going the wrong way!" I didn't even wave "howdy." Yes, I get grumpy. Friendly has its limits. No, I'm NOT from around here...

Oldfool Leads to the Lost Ark

It's strange how sometimes we pick up stuff from the Internet that the authors never intended. A recent post on the excellent blog "Oldfool" is a case in point. You see, it led me to find out where one of the largest treasure troves of Southern California and, indeed United States aviation history has wound up. In fact, a modern day "Ark of the Covenant" to an aeronautical engineer such as myself.

The trail started here. Within that post, was the comment

"...college at the Northrup institute of Technology in Inglewood, California."

That comment caused me to reflect on my own association with Northrop University, where I co-taught a composites design course for a number of years. I still remember the photo of Jack Northrop in the library. THAT caused me to peruse Wikipedia, where I found what I already knew: Northrop University was no more. My recollection varied from Wikipedia a bit, with the law school playing a more prominent role in my memory about the downward spiral, but basically, the place went kaput as described here.

Still, the Wikipedia article raised a question: "What happened to the aviation collections?" Specifically the "American Hall of Aviation" and the "David Hatfield" collection. It seems to me that the vanishing of collections with a half million pieces would leave a trace somewhere. A half million pieces of aviation history. GONE! It was like the mystery of the Ark of the Covenant, as popularized by a movie, entitled "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Like an Internet version of Indiana Jones, I started to search on the topic. It was pretty quick that I discovered that Northrop University has more or less been taken over by a pretty good Charter High School. On their web site, there was nary a word about what happened to either the American Hall of Aviation OR the David Hatfield Collection. Hmm.

Northrop Institute of Technology, Transformed into a Very Good Charter High School - Via Google Streetview

Looking futher, the trail led to a former Lockheed employee by the name of Carol Osborne. Due to her interest in the whole thing, she inherited some of the artifacts and was named as the executor of the collection.

Carol Osborne, Surrounded by Amelia Earheart's Sister and Bobbi Trout. In 1987 Via 2009 Airport Journals

It happened this way: from "Airport Journals"

Although Northrop University campus still exists, its doors were closed in 2003. Many of the historical pieces that were located in the library are now in storage and owned by the Museum of Flight or Osborne. The AHAH library was legendary to aviation and Hollywood.

Prof. Hatfield had a passion for aviation history and had already authored 12 books, from mythology to his "Pioneers of Aviation: A Photo-Biography" series. By the 1980s, Hatfield was producing a series of videotapes called the "History of Flight," chronicling the subject from ancient times to the exploration of space, all for the purpose of educating young people and future generations. He was amazed with the new technology. When Hatfield passed away at the age of 77, he left behind his aviation history and videotaping equipment to an astonished Carol Osborne. It changed her life.

Besides uncounted thousands of photos, the collections included interviews with over 450 aviation pioneers before their passing. Over a dozen had their licenses signed by Orville Wright. Yes, THAT Wright brother. It is an irreplaceable collection. Video interviews with the pioneers at the very beginning of aviation. Mostly, these are people connected with Southern California.

The question remains, however, "what happened to all this stuff?"

The "Airport Journals" article offered a clue. Namely, the "Museum of Flight." But WHICH Museum of Flight. I first went to the logical ones in Southern California, but found no joy there. I saw a few mentions of the collection, but nothing about where it resided.

Almost by chance, I happened upon a Southern California website that provided insight into the mystery. Here, it stated:

Carol Osborne explains that, as Dr. Hatfield's Executor, she only dealt with his personal property.

The large Northrop University / American Hall of Aviation History collection went first to Santa Monica 'Museum of Flying' and then to Seattle 'Museum of Flight'.

I don't understand why our local Southern California aviation history is in a truck cargo container, un inventoried after years. It should be here, in our area, where we will take care of it and display it.

The similarity with the movie became obvious. Hence the video clip below, though instead of the "government guy," we could substitute the "Boeing Museum Guy" instead.

Still, there is hope for the aviation legacy of California, hidden away in a Seattle museum. From the "MUSEUM OF FLIGHT" web pages, we find references to both collections, though neither is available to the general public. Specifically, the links are below:

THE HATFIELD COLLECTION
&
MORE, DISGUISED AS NORTHROP and other DOCUMENTS

Hit It!

We've turned a corner in North Texas. Two days short of setting a new, all-time record for 100F days in a year, the wind has shifted from South to North and dropped the temperatures nearly 20F. This morning, I was almost wishing I'd worn a long-sleeve t shirt. Instead, I turned up the speed a little to generate extra heat from inside. The official NOAA report is HERE, for those that want to see why I feel cheated once again. Still, there remains hope we might see a couple more 100F days, so I'm not giving up quite yet. There is a chance we can beat 1980 yet and become a truly EPIC hardcore year.

The turning of the weather means the wrap-up of a lot of road construction as well. One that wrapped up just this last week is a stretch of one of my favorite roads, called Martin Drive in Bedford, Texas. It is a comfy, four lane road with moderate traffic. Four lane roads, while they might look scary to inexperienced cyclists, are nice because you can simply ride down the middle of the right lane (or, better yet, ride in the line of sweetness) and motorists pass with no delay or conflict, simply by making an obvious full lane change. Two lane roads with double yellow lines are a lot more stressful, or, as in the photo below, four lane roads with cones galore. As I told my mom, in Texas, most places, we have 12 foot wide bike lanes that the motorists are allowed to use when no cyclists are present. She was a little dubious, no doubt due to the liberal Seattle training. Anyway, during the construction, that started back last March, it looked like the photo below.

Martin Drive - From Last March Through the End of August, 2011. Not Real Cycling Friendly

There is ONE feature of the new construction that I find FASCINATING. Specifically, it is a pedestrian light at the north end of the former construction zone. In the first photo below, as you can see, it's telling the pedestrians to walk, much as most such signs do. In the second photo below, it gives useful information to cyclists, namely that they probably don't want to dally excessively before crossing the intersection. The BOTTOM photo will tell you why this post is titled as it is. When that sign hits 0, the light turns yellow. HIT IT! This is the first of these useful signals that I've seen. It is almost worth all the disruption the Martin construction caused me. In total, over six months, this construction has caused me AT LEAST a half hour of lost commute time, but I LOVE THIS SIGNAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apparently Innocent Pedestrian Signal

This Signal is a Little Different

Time to POUR ON THE COAL!

Spring Comparison



"High Vis" Wild Flower in Seattle - Skunk Cabbage in Bloom

I've been in Seattle for a bit. Soon, you can expect to be regaled with a story about my first bike, and the way it got ridden. In the meantime, take a look at "High Vis" stuff seen in Seattle compared with the same around DFW. I've not seen a single wild flower of a growing nature down here as of today.


"High Vis" in Bedford, Texas - John Deere Marker