David Niddrie
BIXI bikes on the Hornby separated cycle lanes during Velo-city Global 2012.
Combined mobility and the dramatic rise of bike share systems took the spotlight on day 3 at Velo-city Global 2012 in Vancouver, BC.
A major shift in how public transit companies around the worlld operate has been underway for the past several years. Michael Roschlau, President & CEO, Canadian Urban Transit Association, announced that "public transit doesn't function in isolation." Identifying the inherent benefits of intermodal transportation and addressing that the issue of connecting different modes is how transit companies around the world are increasing ridership and customer satisfaction.
In Denmark, the commuter train service in and around Copenhagen has taken steps to attract people on bicycles to use the trains. By expanding the storage capacity of bicycles both at stations and on the trains as well as no longer charging to bring a bicycle on board, ridership has grown after 13 years of stagnancy.
In Montreal, Chair of STM, Michel Labrecque's "transportation cocktail" has resulted in the improved connections between rail, subway, bus, car sharing, taxis and most recently bike sharing. And in San Francisco, the focus on customer service and "door-to-door" multimodal transportation continues to shape how infrastructure and service is being tailored to meet the actual demands of riders.
It's no surprise that the bicycle is at the center of many strategies to improve public transit access and sustainability. The development of bike share systems across North America, Europe and Asia has added new flexibility to public transit when included in the overall transit strategy.
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ABOUT VELO-CITY GLOBAL 2012
Velo-city Global is the world's premier international cycling planning conference. The four-day event offers delegates from around the world a chance to share best practices for creating and sustaining cycling-friendly cities where bicycles are valued as part of daily transport and recreation.
The Velo-city Global conference unites politicians, engineers, planners, architects, social marketers, academics, researchers, environmentalists, advocates, educators and industry representatives. Delegates join forces and foster international collaborations. The event also draws experts from related areas, such as health, economics and the environment.
Velo-city Global 2012 is expected to host over 1,000 delegates from around the world. The conference is being held June 26-29 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Center Hotel, accessible by the new Hornby Street separated bike lanes.
