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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.2 Report on Bikeshare Programsr DUBLIN CALIFORNIA DATE: TO: FROM: SU B,ECT: STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL May 7, 2024 Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers Linda Smith, City Manager Agenda Item 8.2 Report on Bikeshare Programs Prepared by: Pratyush Bhatia, Transportation and Operations Manager EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council will receive a report on bikeshare programs, and consideration of factors impacting the feasibility of such a program in Dublin. This report provides a summary of various shared mobility models and of lessons learned and requirements for success based on other agencies that have implemented bikeshare. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive the report. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with receiving this report. Should the City Council request the implementation of a bikeshare program, there will be a cost associated with implementation. DESCRIPTION: Under Item 9 of the September 5, 2023 meeting, the City Council directed Staff to bring back a report on the feasibility of implementing an e-bike (or bikeshare) program in Dublin. Since then, Staff has conducted research on shared mobility programs and collected feedback from staff from various agencies that currently, or have in the past, implemented such programs, including the cities of Fremont, Walnut Creek, and San Ramon, as well as Sonoma County, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), the Municipal Transportation Commission (MTC), East Bay Regional Park District, and Bike East Bay. Page 1 of 7 1 Shared Mobility A bicycle is an example of micromobility, defined in the 2023 Dublin Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan as "Any small, low -speed, human or electric -powered transportation device, including bicycles, scooters, electric -assist bicycles (e-bikes), electric scooters (e-scooters), and other small, lightweight, wheeled conveyances." Shared micromobility (or shared mobility) provides users with short-term access to transportation. Typically, users can access these vehicles on demand by joining an organization or membership that maintains a vehicle fleet at various locations. The use of shared mobility in Dublin is supported by the goals contained in certain plans adopted by the City Council, including the General Plan, Dublin Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, Dublin Local Roadway Safety Plan, Parks and Recreation Master Plan, Climate Action Plan 2030 and Beyond, Complete Streets Policy, as well as specific plans and streetscape plans. Table 1 below summaries commonly used shared mobility service models. Table 1: Shared Mobili Service/Mode Station -based Bikeshare Dockless Bikeshare Service Models Description Example Users may pick up and drop off a bicycle at a fixed bicycle station (fixed dock) distributed throughout the service zone. All trips must start and end at a dock. Station -based bikeshare has higher capital cost and relies on a dense network of stations and therefore may be less suitable for a lower -density setting with fewer prominent trip generators. Users may pick up and drop off a bicycle at any location within a predefined geographic region. Dockless bikeshare allows for flexible fleet management and easy system expansion. However, lack of existing parking facilities and unpredictable usage may limit reliable access to the system. _1 BayWheels, Photo Credit: San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Spin Bikes, Photo Credit: HuffPost Page 2 of 7 2 Service/Mode Description Example Hybrid Bikeshare This is a combination of station -based bikeshare and dockless bikeshare. Users can pick-up and drop off a bicycle at a fixed bicycle station or at a dockless location within a predefined geographic region. Electric This model is like dockless bikeshare but uses Scooter electric scooters instead of bicycles. Electric Sharing scooters are typically a standing design. Biketown, Portland Bikeshare, Photo Credit: Bike Portland Lime E-Scooter, Photo Credit: Lime Other service models or programs that increase access to bicycles include: • Bike Lending Libraries: Unlike traditional bike rental stores, bike libraries offer bikes for short-term use for free or at very low cost and are often run by clubs, community groups, or non-profit organizations. San Mateo County has operated a bike lending library since 2020 and is expanding the program based on its success. • Bike Incentive or Rebate Programs: These provide point -of -sale voucher incentives for the purchase of bicycles or e-bikes. Research and Lessons from Other Cities Staff conducted informational interviews with cities and regional agencies on bikeshare implementation. The following is a summary of the information gathered. • The shared mobility space is rapidly changing, and several agencies have experienced the sudden abandonment of operators, such as Spin, BIRD, HOPR and Lime, from their cities because of bankruptcy and other factors. • Bikeshare vendors were not able to meet most service agreement requirements for balancing or relocating used bicycles back to station areas as well as operating and maintaining the bicycles. • Bicycles left parked on sidewalks and near homes block accessible paths and pedestrian space. • Bicycles are taken on BART and distributed to other cities outside the bikeshare area. • Bikeshare stations can conflict with vehicles and pedestrians. Page 3 of 7 3 • There is a lack of regional collaboration on bikeshare programs. • Grant funding or other subsidies may be needed for bikeshare to be profitable for the private operators. • Theft and vandalism can occur. • Bikeshare programs with small fleets of 100 or fewer bicycles were not successful. • E-bike challenges include personal injuries, equipment failures, and nationwide e-bike recalls due to battery fires. Interviews with peer staff at other cities and agencies indicated that a successful bikeshare program would consider the following elements. • Dedicated staff time is required for setting up program and for operations. • Regional coordination and effort are required. • Focus on high density areas with docked systems. • Station locations need to be carefully considered to avoid conflict with other transportation modes. • High density cities and tourist destination cities, such as San Francisco and Oakland, have generally had more successful programs than lower density cities. • It is advisable to start with a pilot program concentrated in a small area and focus on first/last mile trips to BART and recreational trips along trails. San Ramon Shared Mobility Program The City of San Ramon was one of the first participants in the Contra Costa Transportation Authority's Mobility on Demand Program, with a e-bike and e-scooter sharing program. The San Ramon shared mobility program was discontinued due to several issues: • The program operator could not meet the three-hour rebalancing requirement. • Sidewalk obstruction by parked bicycles or scooters left near homes resulted in citizen complaints. • Shared scooters were not beneficial as they could not be used on the Iron Horse Regional Trail. • A driver's license is required to use scooters, but underage scooter drivers often used parent ID or accounts. San Ramon staff indicated that a regional bikeshare program connecting BART and the Iron Horse Regional Trail is needed for future success. They are currently exploring vendors for just e- bikeshare that could utilize the Iron Horse Regional Trail (East Bay Regional Park District regulations prohibit scooters on trails). Page 4 of 7 4 Safety As with any other vehicle, shared mobility vehicles can be unsafe if operated carelessly or improperly. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) September 2023 report "Micromobility Products - Related Deaths, Injuries and Hazard Patterns 2017-2021,"1 presents the latest available statistics on injuries with three micromobility devices: e-scooters (including dockless/rental e-scooters), hoverboards, and e-bikes. The report shows that injuries associated with all micromobility devices increased nearly 21 percent in 2022 from 2021. There have been 129 micromobility-related fatalities from 2017 to 2021. E-scooters account for 68 fatalities and e- bikes account for 53 of the total fatalities. Hoverboards resulted in 8 fatalities. For context, the City's collision data for the last six years from 2018 to 2024 shows 82 collisions involving bicycles including 64 injury collisions and no fatalities. Considerations for Bikeshare Implementation Based on Staff's research, the following are considerations and requirements, if desired by the City Council, to help implement a successful bikeshare program. 1. Legal Framework: Develop general provisions such as the basic legal framework to allow shared bicycles to operate in Dublin. Modify existing Ordinances that may prohibit or not be inconsistent with the legal framework. 2. Assembly Bill 371 requires that a city or county that authorizes a provider to operate within its jurisdiction on or after January 1, 2021, shall adopt rules for the operation, parking, and maintenance of shared mobility devices before a provider may offer any shared mobility device for rent or use. This includes establishing permit regulations including the following: o Device requirements include specifications such as brakes, front/rear lights, type of bicycle, and on -board GPS. It is critical for cities and operators to ensure that these devices have safety equipment, are inspected, and maintained regularly, create safe riding environments, and communicate safe riding practices with the public. Vehicle, helmet, and user requirements can be considered for implementation to improve shared mobility rider safety. o Operating requirements, such as type of system, limits of service area, number of bicycles and maintenance schedule. Geofencing or equivalent technology may be required to prevent bicycles from entering restricted areas. Geofencing is a digital tool that uses Global Positioning Service (GPS) or similar technology to create virtual geographic boundaries that restrict shared mobility devices from operating in specific areas and limit their speed. o Parking requirements, such as maximum time acceptable for improperly parked devices, station locations, enforcement including citations and impounding fees. o Customer service and responsiveness including rebalancing requirements, such as relocating bicycles to established station areas. o Data sharing, reporting standards, and performance metrics including an application program interface (API) to share real-time data and collision records. 1 Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), "MicromobilityProducts - Related Deaths, Injuries and Hazard Patterns 2017-2021'; httns: //www.cost.eov/s3fs-nublic/Micromobility-Products-Related-Deaths-Injuries-and-Hazard-Patterns-2017-2022.ndf Page 5 of 7 5 o Education and outreach to educate users on state and local laws. Staff and operators work to develop an education, safety, and awareness campaign to encourage more people to use bicycles and teach them how to ride safely. o Permit revocation requirements for instances where the permittee violates the terms of the permit or there is a serious threat to public health or safety. o Insurance and indemnification requirements, such as required insurance coverage. 3. Funding: Identify funding requirements, funding sources and dedicate funding and staffing resources to support the program. Multiple city departments are involved in launching and managing a shared mobility program including planning, contracting, procurement, public works, maintenance, and enforcement. Staff costs include time for oversight, reviewing permit applications, data analysis, operator coordination, field checks, and reporting. Other costs include removing or impounding incorrectly placed devices, which requires city vehicles that can retrieve devices and secure storage space on city property for impounded devices; responding to community inquiries; and parking enforcement. 4. Staffing Resources: A program must include identifying and allocating appropriate staffing resources to plan, implement, evaluate, and enforce program elements. Agencies that implemented bikeshare programs have had to reprioritize staff work due to community requests related to improper parking and other issues. 5. Regional Coordination: Coordinate with adjacent jurisdictions, the Dublin Unified School District, private schools, East Bay Regional Park District, LAVTA, County Connection, and BART, to establish rules and regulations around bikeshare operations within the City and across jurisdictional boundaries. Demand in Dublin Demand for bikeshare in the City of Dublin is uncertain at this time. Outreach activities for development of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan included a September 2020 online workshop and a May 2021 tabling at the Farmers' Market. At both events, participants were surveyed about several items, including a few questions related to shared mobility, however bike share and scooter share were not the sole focus of the surveys. At the May 2021 Farmers' Market, 100 people visited the outreach team table and 40 people took a survey that included questions about pre- and post-COVID 19 pandemic modes of travel. Pre - pandemic, three people said they use bike share, scooter share, or a personal scooter at least once a week and another three said they use such travel modes between one and three days a month. Post -pandemic the survey results were five and three, respectively. At the September 2020 online workshop, of 23 people who responded, 10 responded as having experience with bike share or scooter share on public streets and 18 responded they would like to see bike share or scooter share in Dublin. On a later question, 72 percent of respondents self - identified as either a "strong and fearless" bicyclist or an "enthused and confident" bicyclist. The same percent responded they bike ride either "daily or nearly daily" or "a few times per week." Summary Staff's research for this report indicates key areas could potentially generate a volume of bicycle demand. A program that was concentrated in a small area and focused on first/last mile trips to BART and recreational trips along the Iron Horse Regional Trail may generate enough user Page 6 of 7 6 demand. If the City Council desired to pursue bikeshare in Dublin, Staff would recommend considering the following action items. • Develop a legal framework to allow bikeshare. • Identify available funding and staffing resources. Currently, the City does not have the capacity to begin and support an effort of this nature. A re -prioritization of work would be required internally. • Upgrade the existing bicycle infrastructure per the Dublin Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan in areas contemplated for bikeshare. • Gauge partnership and sponsorship interest from transit operators, local businesses, and non -profits. • Gauge interest from flexible bikeshare vendors. The shared mobility space is rapidly changing, and several agencies have experienced the sudden abandonment of operators from their cities as a result of bankruptcy and other factors. Prior to investing time and resources into other aspects of the program, it would be beneficial to release a request for information (RFI) to understand the potential interest of vendors and operators. • Identify supporting policies and/or incentives to encourage bikeshare. • Develop an education, safety, and awareness campaign to encourage the use of bicycles and instruct on how to ride micromobility devices safely. • Consider and actively explore other models for providing access to bicycles, such as bike lending libraries and e-bike incentive or rebate programs. STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE: Strategy 3E: Continue to implement measures identified in the Climate Action Plan. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: The City Council Agenda was posted. ATTACHMENTS: None. Page 7 of 7 7 Report on Bike Share Programs May 7, 2024 II DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Background • Staff directed to bring back a report on the feasibility of implementing e-bike (or bikeshare) program. • Staff has conducted research and collected feedback from staff from agencies with experience including the cities of Fremont,Walnut Creek, San Ramon, BART, MTC, East Bay Regional Park District, and Bike East Bay. 9 What is Shared Mobility? • Micromobility — Any small, low -speed, human or electric -powered transportation device, including bicycles, scooters, electric -assist bicycles (e-bikes), electric scooters (e-scooters), and other small, lightweight, wheeled conveyances. • Purpose — Provides users with on demand short-term access to transportation. — Requires joining an organization or membership that maintains a vehicle fleet at various locations. • Supports Goals adopted by the City Council — General Plan, Dublin Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, — Climate Action Plan 2030 and Beyond Shared Mobility Service Models • Station -based Bikeshare (BayWheels, SF) — Fixed station, higher capital cost, high density • Dockless Bikeshare — Any location in fixed area — Geofencing to enforce parking locations • Hybrid Bikeshare (Biketown in Portland) — Fixed or dockless location — Fee to park dockless or incentives • Electric Scooter Sharing — Dockless with electric scooters • Other programs — Bike Lending Libraries — Bike Incentive or Rebate Programs CALIFORNIA BayWheels, Photo Credit: San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Spin Bikes, Photo Credit: HuffPost Biketown, Portland Bikeshare, Photo Credit: Bike Portland Lime E-Scooter, Photo Credit: Lime Research/Lessons Learned • Shared mobility changing rapidly and operators — Sudden abandonment & financial uncertainty • Operators unable to meet service requirements — Operation, maintenance, rebalancing requirements • Bicycles block sidewalks & other accessible paths. • Lack of regional collaboration • Theft and vandalism • Programs with small fleets did not work • E-bikes: personal injuries, equipment failures and recalls Source: https://chi.streetsblog.org/ Elements for Success • Dedicated staff time • Regional Coordination • Focus on high density areas & docked systems • Careful consideration of station locations • Pilot program BART and recreational trips San Ramon Spared Mobi ity Program • One of the first participants in CCTA's Mobility on Demand Program • Discontinued — Operator and three-hour rebalancing requirement — Sidewalk obstruction by parked bicycles — Shared scooters not allowed on the Iron Horse Regional Trail — A driver's license is required for scooters, but underage scooter drivers often used parent ID or accounts 14 Safety • Unsafe if careless or improper operation • US Consumer Product Safety Commission September 2023 micromobility report — Injuries increased 21 % - 2021 to 2022 — 129 fatalities in five years • Dublin's collision data from 2018 to 2024 — 82 bicycle collisions — 64 injury collisions and no fatalities 15 Bikeshare Implementation Considerations • Develop Legal Framework • AB 371 requirements • Establish Permit Regulations — Device Requirements — Operating Requirements — Parking — Customer Service — Data Sharing — Education and Outreach (State and local laws) • Funding requirements (sources) • Staffing Resources • Regional Coordination Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44212-022-00013-1 16 Demand in Dublin? • Demand for bikeshare is uncertain • Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Outreach — May 2021 Farmers' Market (5 out of 40) —September 2020 Online Workshop (18 of 23) • Most respondents bike daily or nearly daily — Bikeshare was not the sole focus of surveys Summary &Actions • Focus on small area, BART and recreational trips • If directed to proceed, Staff recommendations: Develop legal framework Identify available funding and staffing resources Upgrade existing bicycle infrastructure Partnership and sponsorship interest? Interest from bikeshare vendors? Release a request for information (RFI) Identify supporting policies and incentives Develop education, safety, and awareness campaign Consider alternative models May is National Bike Month! • Events in Dublin • Urban Cycling 101 Classes - Day One, Classroom Workshop - Saturday, May I I , 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., in the Bray Community Room (100 Civic Plaza) - Day Two, Road Class, Sunday, May 12, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Dublin Civic Center Parking Lot (100 Civic Plaza) - Dublin's website for detailed information https://dublin.ca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AI D=4878 • Bike to Work or Wherever Day - Thursday, May 16, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. — Energizer Stations at BART • Bike to Market Day - Thursday, May 30, 4:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m. — Ride to Dublin Farmer's Market at Emerald Glen Park • Subscribe to Information on Bike programs — Notify Me Form at https://dublin.ca.gov/313/Bike-Pedestrian-Programs • MpRIN • NAPA • SAN FRANCISCO • SAN MATEO • SANTA C '40 WHEREVER DAYS N CC ® a f4OVE &GEARS • 30 CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF BTWD, EST. 1994 19 Bicycle Safety Bicycles • Wear a helmet • Obey street signs, signals, and road markings • Use hand signals when turning or stopping • Watch for pedestrians • Keep to the far -right side of the road • Drive in the same direction as traffic • Wear bright colors Drivers • Obey the speed limit • Drivers turning right should look to the right and behind 20