Copenhagen City Bikes

City Bike, Copenhagen

Copenhagen City Bikes or Bycykler København is the bicycle sharing system of Copenhagen, Denmark. Launched in 1995 with 1,000 cycles, the project was the world's first large-scale urban bike-sharing scheme. It features specially designed bikes with parts that cannot not be used on other bikes. Riders pay a refundable deposit at one of 110 special bike stands and have unlimited use of a bike within the specified downtown area.^[1] The scheme is funded by commercial sponsors. In return, the bikes carry advertisements, which appear on the bike frame and the solid-disk type wheels.

History

The original idea behind the scheme was to reduce the theft of bicycles in the city by offering specially designed units for free public use based on commercial sponsoring and advertising. It was initiated by entrepreneurs Ole Wessung and Morten Sadolin who believed that insurance companies would be willing to sponsor the programme as they would benefit financially from the reduction in stolen bicycles which were running at 27,000 a year in the city at the time.^[2]

Initial trials were however unsuccessful and it was not until the scheme was backed by a foundation supported by the Municipality of Copenhagen together with various government ministries and some private interests that it became viable. Indeed, once the foundation had raised 2 million Danish crowns, the scheme finally got off the ground in May 1995. By 1996, with 10 additional sponsors including the Coca Cola Company, 1,500 cycles were made available throughout the city. By 2003, as a result of additional sponsors, the foundation was able to increase the number of city bikes to 2,500.^[2]

Now that it has been in operation for 15 years, the scheme has served as an example for many other cities worldwide to adopt similar approaches.^[3]

Current conditions

Today the city bikes are available from 110 cycles stands distributed throughout the downtown area.^[4] The cycles can be used in daylight hours during the summer months (mid-April to November) by using a 20 DKK coin to retrieve them from the cycle stands. The coin is refunded when you return them.^[5]

Copenhagen has an extensive and well-designed system of cycle paths, earning it a reputation as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world.^[6] In recognition of Copenhagen's emphasis on bicycling, the city has been chosen by the Union Cycliste Internationale as their first official Bike City. Bike City Copenhagen covers the period 2008 to 2011 and consists of big cycling events for professionals as well as amateurs.^[7]

Plans for a new system

In 2009, an international competition was launched by Copenhagen Municipality, calling for proposals to replace the City Bikes with more modern models. In particular, designs for a new bike-sharing system were to provide for attractiveness, elegance, robustness, integration into the city's transport infrastructure and ease of implementation.^[8] In all, there were 127 proposals. The two winners announced in December 2009 were:

• OPENbike, a Swedish-Californian proposal for an integrated system with no requirements for fixed geographical identification points. The location of bikes can be monitored automatically when the bikes are not moving, allowing them to be parked and locked anywhere, including in common cycle stands. Users with the system's RFID smartcards or their own NFC-equipped smartphones can access any available bike, and the latter can also find bikes with their smartphone. Those administering the system can also see how bikes can best be distributed when necessary.^[9]

• Myloop, a French-Japanese proposal. The jury was particularly impressed by the bike's design, user-friendliness and environmental assets. Unlike OPENbike, Myloop bikes need to be recharged in a docking station. Bikes can be attached to each other, just like supermarket caddies, allowing power to run between them. Registered users gain access via a smartcard. Bikes are equipped with GPS devices, allowing information about their location and status to be monitored centrally.^[10]

The new bikes are to be introduced in 2013. The city authorities expect to be able to combine the best features from both of the winning designs.^[11]

See also

• Cycling in Copenhagen
• Utility cycling
• Segregated cycle facilities
• Modal share

References

1. ^ Free City Bike Schemes, Søren B. Jensen, City of Copenhagen, Conference Proceedings, Amsterdam 2000
2. ^ ^{a b} "Bycyklens historie", Bycyklen København. (Danish) Retrieved 9 June 2010.
3. ^ Louise Skov Andersen, "Københavns bycykler skal skrottes", Ibyen.dk, 28 May 2008. (Danish) Retrieved 8 June 2010.
4. ^ "Bycykens område", Bycyklen København (Danish) Retrieved 9 June 2010
5. ^ "Free city bikes", VisitCopenhagen.com. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
6. ^ "Best City for Cyclists: Copenhagen". TreeHugger. http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2010/04/best-of-green-cars-transportation.php?page=12. Retrieved 2010-04-09. 
7. ^ "Bike City Copenhagen". Københavns Kommune. http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/content/tourist/what_to_see_and_do/events/event_calendar/major_event_-_information?EventID=590. Retrieved 2009-01-05. 
8. ^ "Open Design Competition: a new bike share system for Copenhagen", Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
9. ^ "The Open Bike Share System". Retrieved 10 June 2010.
10. ^ "Myloop Copenhagen City Commuter". Retrieved 10 January 2010.
11. ^ Julie Ring-Hansen Holt, "Nye teknologiske bycykler på vej til København", Ingeniøren, 15 December 2009. (Danish) Retrieved 10 June 2010.

External links

• OPENbike website