Bike Nation to bring bicycle rental kiosks to Westwood in the fall
By Nicole Chiang
April 24, 2012 8:18 a.m.
Bicycle rental kiosks will soon populate Westwood, once a city-wide bike-sharing program launches this fall.
The private venture is being funded by Bike Nation, a bike-share service provider that plans to install 4,000 bicycles at 400 rental kiosks throughout communities in Los Angeles, said Derek Fretheim, chief operating officer of Bike Nation. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the project this month at CicLAvia, a biking event held in downtown Los Angeles.
Fretheim said that despite how car-central southern California is, there has been an increase in bike usage over the years.
“Now is the time to launch this system in a major way in the Los Angeles area and add a new transportation element,” he said.
Venice Beach, Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles are among other kiosk locations where installation will take place, Fretheim said. Plans have been made to start installing the bike rental stations in October, he said.
Bike Nation is currently working with UCLA Transportation to determine whether rental kiosks will also be made available on campus, Fretheim said. The groups are collaborating on a plan to implement a combination of kiosks on campus and in the surrounding community, said Dave Karwaski, senior associate director of planning, policy and traffic systems for UCLA Transportation.
With Bike Nation’s program, students will be able to go to a kiosk, rent a bike for a period of time, and return it to any other rental station.
The fees for renting bikes will be scaled according to the amount of time the bike is used, Fretheim said. The first half-hour of a bike ride is free, with a charge of $1.50 beginning at an hour. Costs continue to climb after several hours to discourage long-term rentals, Fretheim said.
Alternatively, riders can purchase a 24-hour pass for $6, Fretheim said.
There is also an active GPS unit in the bicycles that allow Bike Nation to track any bicycles people attempt to steal, he said.
“This is a good opportunity for (UCLA) and the city,” Karwaski said. “Not only are there a number of health benefits, it can also help reduce traffic and gas emissions.”
Andrea Chau, a first-year physiological student, said she doesn’t know if she would rent a bike from a kiosk on campus, but she likes the option to rent bikes to travel outside of UCLA.
“It’s definitely a good idea, but the hills and stairs on campus could detract from (the program’s) appeal,” Chau said. “I could see myself using it on the weekends or off-campus, though.”
Chau said, however, that she feels a scooter is more convenient on-campus because she can carry it around and into class.
UCLA already has a Bike Library where students can rent out bicycles every quarter located in the John Wooden Center. The library currently owns 90 bicycles and more are being added, Karwaski said.
But there are no concerns that Bike Nation’s program will detract business from this center, Karwaski said. The Bike Library’s long-term rental targets a different market than Bike Nation’s short-term rentals, he said.
Jeffrey Lin, a third-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student, has his own bike, but said he would use Bike Nation’s bicycles if he didn’t.
“It seems like a good way of getting to and from campus, or if you want to go on day-excursions,” he said.
It is hard to find bike-friendly places in Los Angeles because of all the cars, but Lin said he thinks the program can make people more aware of the availability of alternative forms of transportation.
A number of bike plans similar to Bike Nation’s have already been implemented in various cities worldwide, Karwaski said.
“It is a sign that we are moving in the right direction,” he said.
