A look ahead at 2017: Bike share plans

The city of Homewood is still considering a bike-share program, but as part of a broader regional program rather than an individual city system.

“The whole point of this initiative is interconnectedness,” said Ward 1 Representative Britt Thames.

On Nov. 21, the results of a feasibility study by Bantam Strategy Group were released after almost a year of work. The final results of the study were based on Homewood data  such as demographics and infrastructure, as well as two public involvement meetings in spring and an online survey that received 82 responses.

Public response, according to the final report package, was mostly positive toward the idea of a bike-share, with some concerns about lack of bicycle-friendly roads in the city and public safety. A demand analysis was also performed, taking into account topography, bike infrastructure and the density of population, retail, recreation and other factors. The analysis showed the most demand for bike-share use likely would be in SoHo, Edgewood and the trailheads of the Shades Creek Greenway.

The feasibility study recommends a Homewood system of 200 bikes spread between 20 bike-share stations around the city. These could be added in phases, though the study recommends launching with at least half that number. 

Bikes can be rented for $6 a day or $75 for an annual membership, with use fees accruing on bike checkouts longer than 30 minutes. Zyp Bikeshare representatives have said in previous meetings these use fees can be avoided by docking a bike at a station and immediately checking it out again before the first 30 minutes elapse.

The study also noted that the city could work with a nonprofit specifically made to administrate the bike-share program and solicit sponsorships from corporations to help fund the program.

Initial installation and start-up costs for

a full 200-bike system would cost about $1.35 million, and operational costs are projected to range between $200,000 and $400,000 per year. The study projects the 200-bike system would generate $600,000 in revenue over the first five years, leaving significant costs to be funded by corporate sponsorships or grants.

However, Thames said there has been interest from Homewood and the city of Birmingham to connect bike-share systems not only with each other, but with surrounding municipalities. This has practical benefits for metro-area cities, as they can share resources and logistics, as well as work together in obtaining grants and sponsorships.

It would also be beneficial for riders, Thames said, not only to ride between cities and use docking stations anywhere, but also for commuters. Thames noted that a Homewood resident who may drive to work downtown could rent a bike on his lunch break using his Homewood membership, rather than having a membership in both cities. With that in mind, Thames said he thinks it would be a mistake for Homewood to create its own system without these connections.

Thames said he expects to see a regional nonprofit set up in summer 2017 that would help apply for federal grant funding and gauge other cities’ bike-share interest, as well as implement and operate bike-share programs later on. 

More vendors for bike-share equipment will also become available this year, which could drive some costs down.

The next step would be to confirm budget costs for Homewood and make the final decision whether the city will start a bike-share program. Thames said any grant money probably will not be available until 2018, which will affect when the program actually begins, if approved, but the city can continue to plan and look at its options in the meantime.

And since Homewood already has completed this feasibility study, it would probably be the first city outside Birmingham to bring its program online.

“I think we have a leg up,” Thames said. 

The full feasibility study is available online at homewoodbikeshare.com.