viaCycle

Let’s Discuss This Over Coffee

Arlington’s GOP has taken a stance against bike-sharing, citing the issue of lost parking spaces as a major issue. Eight parking spaces were removed in Rosslyn to make way for a bike rack for the Capital Bikeshare program. In a blog posting by the political group they claim that the loss of parking spaces is a financial burden for the county due to the loss of parking meters. The blog post also argues that fewer parking spaces create inconveniences for shoppers and shop owners alike.

It’s hard to imagine that the loss of several parking spots can result in so much agony. Then again, I’m sure we’ve all been circling that city block for ten minutes cursing the lack of parking, wishing JUST ONE spot would open up.

As a company, we’re dedicated to bringing a clean transportation solution to the masses. As engineers, we’re motivated to find solutions. Political organizations aligning against bike share programs are a definite obstacle for bike-sharing, since it’s an undertaking that often relies heavily on government support.

Complaints such as those posed by the Arlington GOP are largely what dictated the concept for viaCycle, and continue to drive our design decisions. As it turns out, viaCycle formed in part as a way to avoid dealing with large government entities all together. ViaCycle is based primarily in Atlanta, a city not known for its bicycle friendliness, and this has shaped our concept from the beginning. The idea for viaCycle sprung from difficulty in bringing existing systems to areas where parking and sidewalks spaces were limited, and where large bureaucracies ensured infinite permitting and red tape when it came to placing hardware on precious urban real estate. It’s why viaCycle was designed to function without the need for large powered bike racks, and can integrate easily with current bike racks already in place. No lost parking spaces, no permitting, no fuss.

A funny thing happens when you tell people you’re a bike-share company based in Atlanta. They stare at you wide-eyed, expecting you to name a more bike-centric city like Portland, Seattle, or Minneapolis. We take pride in that. ViaCycle’s goal is not to cater only to the most progressive cities, but to develop a solution that can succeed in any American city. The truth is that most cities are not going to quickly adopt bike-sharing with open arms.  Rather than trying to convince everyone in the world that they have to adopt bike-sharing, we’re working to remove any reason not to.

So, Arlington GOP, maybe we can sit down over a cup of coffee and sort this whole thing out? Maybe we can persuade you that with the right strategy, bike-sharing can enhance your way of life, rather than impede on it. Let’s meet at the local coffee house – we’ll go by viaCycle, and you can take all the parking spaces you want. However, a word of caution… once you start getting from place to place for pennies using an (unsubsidized) bike, paying $4 a gallon for gas and hunting for parking might not seem worth fighting for after all.