Montreal's Public Bikes To Use Web, RFID, Solar 146
Ian Lamont writes "Montreal is preparing to launch a Web- and RFID-enabled public bike system that allows residents and visitors to rent bicycles at special depots scattered throughout the city. Using a Web site, riders can check out a real-time inventory of available bicycles at the depot locations. At the depots, a solar-powered base station will process credit cards or member cards. The bike docks use RFID, and the system is supposedly easy to install and maintain. A pilot program will launch in September with four bike depots."
power (Score:4, Interesting)
they should just have capacitors (or whatever) on/in the bikes that store up energy whenever brakes are used, then when the bike is returned, all the bikes all stored energy can be released back onto the grid, perhaps which could then be transfered as credit or whatever and give a discount for renting the bike.
heck, maybe if u ride enough you could make money by way of power generation
yes thats all probably ridiculous, but it's 3am so idfc lol
Re:They only get a few months.. (Score:5, Interesting)
Limited Mobility Users? (Score:4, Interesting)
Before you dismiss it.... (Score:5, Interesting)
Have you seen how successful the public bicycle system is in Paris? It's a generation older in terms of tech, but it continues to be a great success. Being able to simply grab (rent) a bike and ride the 15-20 blocks you might need to travel, doing this above ground in a physically exhilarating and liberating fashion (compared to a bus/metro/taxi)... this is all most excellent.
The geek criticism of this technology for its "privacy concerns" and for its "technological weak points" is probably all logically sound. But the very same people who are making these points are also very likely the most keyboard-bound (by habit) people. They are perhaps failing to see the practical gains here, in favor of racing to point out academic faults. To them I say:
Dude! If ever anyone needed a digital rent-a-bike to get you off your ass, it's you! Who do you think they are making this for? It's not the carousing moron with bad credit and too many kids. It's not Dr. MD-PhD who drives to his practice to check his schedule for next week. It's you, pal.
Re:mmmmmk (Score:3, Interesting)
First, the article claims that the technology will be used to help monitor traffic usage. One could assume that this was merely at the docking stations, but it could be used outside of it as well.
Second, RFID technology has an operational distance of a few meters, so installing monitoring equipment along side bike paths would be a way to 'track' movements of bikers. I'm not saying cover the entire city, but portable equipment might be moved around, or permanent monitors placed along bike paths could be used to help generate useful data, and potentially track individuals.
And third, I'm not a libertarian, so your over generalizations are useless here. I was actually replying in part to the OPs post in which he suggested the technology would be used to track individuals' movements. My point was that whether this is the case or not, I believe that the government is responsible enough, and the data useful enough, so that it is unnecessary to become overly worrisome.
- John
Re:power (Score:2, Interesting)
Cheap, sturdy bike with no gears designed for moving in the flat city only, it's as stripped as it gets.
Re:power (Score:3, Interesting)
Despite have a simple gear mechanism (I think it's this one [wikipedia.org], with 3 settings), the higher areas tend to have no bikes and the lower ones no empty spaces to leave them.
However, the bikes are distributed regularly using vans.
Re:Before you dismiss it.... (Score:3, Interesting)
From your post, I'm going to make the assumption that you've never been to Paris.
Whilst there is traffic in Paris, as with every city - not everyone owns a car.
Public transport is highly convenient, and heavily utilised.
Parking is expensive, petrol is hard to source in the city, and having a garage where you live is next to impossible.
Drivers are very conscientious of bicycles, and all in all, as per the parent poster, it's a really exhilirating and relaxing experience.
I'm awfully sorry that you've not had a chance to experience it.
Re:Seems to work in Sweden... (Score:5, Interesting)
Got them in Oslo, Norway [oslobysykkel.no] too.
I use them all the time, they make getting around town so easy.
The system here also has a realtime website with status of their 90ish depots/bikesheds. And if the one you are at is empty, then the screen lists the status of nearby depots.
There are some drawbacks with the free city bikes:
So I fully recommend them, it has made us get about town so much easier and quicker (and thus more often), but they are only useful if the depots are everywhere and stocked up.
Re:power (Score:3, Interesting)
To be honest, they have introduced a credit system. Whenever you leave a bike on an uphill depot, you get credited of 15 unmetered minutes for this rental, or any further one. This works only for year-long subscribers, not daily tickets.
The mini-trucks are gas powered, and "eco friendly". Supposedly.