Thread: NYC Bikeshare
View Single Post
jyl jyl is online now
Registered
 
jyl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Nor California & Pac NW
Posts: 24,778
Garage
I came up with a WAG of $15MM/yr to run Citibike, based on 200 lower-paid employees and 30 higher-paid employees plus rebalancing vehicles and renting a central facility.

I then found this -

http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/resources/res_pdfs/csd-19/Background-Paper8-P.Midgley-Bicycle.pdf

Which says $1,700-2,000/operating cost per bike per year as a rule of thumb. About 6,000 bikes in Citibike, I think, so call it $12MM/yr. Ehh, it's New York, so figure higher.

I believe a major factor is how much rebalancing you have to do. If the city is hilly, people will use the bikes to go downhill but not uphill, so more employees will have to load bikes in vans and drive them to the uphill stations. Capitol Bikeshare says the majority of its operating costs is rebalancing. Manhattan is flat, so maybe that helps a bit.
__________________
1989 3.2 Carrera coupe; 1988 Westy Vanagon, Zetec; 1986 E28 M30; 1994 W124; 2004 S211
What? Uh . . . “he” and “him”?
Old 06-15-2013, 09:08 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #12 (permalink)