DSC
Superstar
This piece on Chinese bike share might be of interest. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210112-the-vast-bicycle-graveyards-of-china
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- Thread starter kettal
- Start date
allengeorge
Senior Member
LNahid2000
Senior Member
First new station added in ages on Simcoe north of Dundas. This is the third electric bike charging station in the system...hopefully this means they're working on installing the remaining 7!
Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
It is funny that I can pinpoint my own personal dot on my commute path that ends abruptly in mid October
vic
Senior Member
Are these charging stations mapped?
This morning I was just thinking about how those bikes are charged. It seems that the ones I find are often out of service, and maybe not charged particularly often. From this morning's experience, there was one e-bike available at Crossways (across from Dundas West Station), and another dead one there too. After checking it out, it had a dead battery immediately. Oh well. I pedaled it up to the top of the Railpath at Cariboo, where there were two other dead e-bikes and one regular bike. I swapped out for the regular one, at which point the e-bike I used was taken out of service. Four dead e-bikes in that area.
The e-bikes I find at Davenport and Symington are also dead more often than not too.
I only see 5 e-bikes available on the whole system map right now. Edit to add: Though maybe some are in-use.
LNahid2000
Senior Member
They don't show on any official maps, but if you search for 'ELECTRICBIKESTATION' in the station feed at the link below, it will show you what stations charge bikes. Bike Share staff usually collect the bikes from various stations, and then leave them at a charging station to charge. I've noticed tons of dead e-bikes around the city as well, so they don't seem very efficient at doing this. More charging stations will make it easier for them though.
afransen
Senior Member
I think the ebike pilot is great and all, but they will really need to rethink how the system works to make this scalable. If it requires staff to move and/or plug in bikes to charge them, I think this is going to be too expensive or have low availability.
ShonTron
Moderator
I'm noticing that the few electric bikeshare bicycles out there seem to be used by food couriers these days. I guess they look for the bikes, and hope no one else rides away with them when they're making a delivery (or do they lock them?)
LNahid2000
Senior Member
Haha I actually noticed one in front of my building last week, and I was tempted to take it since they're so hard to find!
Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
My thinking is that they are taking advantage of the low demand during the winter months.
During the summer time, whenever I used an electric bike, I would check the app and usually without fail, within 5 minutes of parking the e-bike someone else had already taken it.
WillTo
Senior Member
One time it was super close. We reached the dock at the same time and if I wanted to be a jerk I could have beat him to it 
I think I have used them twice and while it was lovely, I use BikeShare to get some exercise so I've taken a pass on them during other opportunities.
I think I have used them twice and while it was lovely, I use BikeShare to get some exercise so I've taken a pass on them during other opportunities.
WillTo
Senior Member
I am off to complain again. Midtown is looking very empty of bikes.
WillTo
Senior Member
I made it to the Pickering border!
Morning started off with me leaving midtown, going down the Beltline trail to Brickworks, then docking at the Pottery Road station. Unfortunately it didn't update the system and the trip was still running and I couldn't sign out another bike. I called and had to wait on hold for a bit. When I got through the agent told me to try forcing it out of the dock (this is great, it looks like I'm stealing a bike now). Anywho, he manual closed the trip. Unfortunately I still couldn't sign out a bike because I think the problem was that the station was offline. Cutting my loses short, I started walking back to Brickworks. Unfortunately Pottery Road is one of the worst places to go offline as there are no stations close by. As I'm walking down Bayview I see the Bikeshare van passing me. So back at Brickworks I take another bike. I pass the Pottery Road station and am damn sure not to dock in it. The crew is working on it and they have the guts of the terminal opened up. Looks real messed up.
Anywho, I fear going over half an hour so after going down the Lower Don Trail I detour to Corktown commons to re-dock. Then I take the Martin Goodman trail as far East as it goes, up Silver Birch, and along Queen St. for a bit (is still hair raising for me to be in mixed traffic) I dock at Neville Loop.
Now from Neville to Guildwood there is a blackhole without stations. I decided at the start I would just not worry about the overages for the day and just enjoy the ride. Now I am trying to follow the designated Waterfront trail. I don't know why they call it a trail when it is mostly roads including some that are not particularly bike friendly. It is also not the most clearly signed thing and I miss the trail at St. Augustine's Seminary. I end up back at Kingston road and using that instead to get to Brimley.
Anywho, I eventually make it to Livingston and Guildwood. Trip time was 1 hr 0m and 34 s. $8 fee. Uggg! I have lunch at the Subway, then continue on. Now the map shows the road route to go up Morningside or an unpaved short cut. Of course I am all about short cuts. But OMG the mud! I managed to make my way through on speed 1 and make it the station by Rouge Hill GO in just under half an hour. A quick re-dock and I bike to the Pickering border before heading back.
Now on the way back I do not want to take the muddy shortcut, but to stay on the pavement would add to much time so I tough it out again and manage to stay on my wheels. But the return ride is uphill and harder. This time it takes me 30m33s to get to Guildwood, but no fee :-D.
To get back downtown I smarten up and consult the map and plan to take the short cut at the Seminary. Well that was a mistake because the mud is even worst and for much longer. I am unable to stay on my wheels because the mud accumulates and jams the wheel at the fender. I try to clean off the mud with my shoe and then with a twig. Not fun. Anywho, I make it back Blantyre Park. 1h11m9s. Fee $8. After that it is back home by doing along the MGT, up Woodbine, over to Dawes, and then I take the Taylor Creek trail to Sunnybrook Park, then back to midtown. At the penultimate stop I phone to order Pad Thai. It is ready by the time I bike home.
Glad to have done it but probably won't do it again. Don't like having to return to Kingston road over and over, knowing I could get there faster if I just stayed on Kingston road.
I pulled my Bikeshare trips and then looked up the pairs of stations Google Maps.
Actual riding time: 6hr20m
How long it should have taken according to Google: 4hr 52m (I guess I am slow)
Total Distance: 86.8 km
Average speed: 13.46km/hr
Total trips: 15 not including the one with the technical problem.
Morning started off with me leaving midtown, going down the Beltline trail to Brickworks, then docking at the Pottery Road station. Unfortunately it didn't update the system and the trip was still running and I couldn't sign out another bike. I called and had to wait on hold for a bit. When I got through the agent told me to try forcing it out of the dock (this is great, it looks like I'm stealing a bike now). Anywho, he manual closed the trip. Unfortunately I still couldn't sign out a bike because I think the problem was that the station was offline. Cutting my loses short, I started walking back to Brickworks. Unfortunately Pottery Road is one of the worst places to go offline as there are no stations close by. As I'm walking down Bayview I see the Bikeshare van passing me. So back at Brickworks I take another bike. I pass the Pottery Road station and am damn sure not to dock in it. The crew is working on it and they have the guts of the terminal opened up. Looks real messed up.
Anywho, I fear going over half an hour so after going down the Lower Don Trail I detour to Corktown commons to re-dock. Then I take the Martin Goodman trail as far East as it goes, up Silver Birch, and along Queen St. for a bit (is still hair raising for me to be in mixed traffic) I dock at Neville Loop.
Now from Neville to Guildwood there is a blackhole without stations. I decided at the start I would just not worry about the overages for the day and just enjoy the ride. Now I am trying to follow the designated Waterfront trail. I don't know why they call it a trail when it is mostly roads including some that are not particularly bike friendly. It is also not the most clearly signed thing and I miss the trail at St. Augustine's Seminary. I end up back at Kingston road and using that instead to get to Brimley.
Anywho, I eventually make it to Livingston and Guildwood. Trip time was 1 hr 0m and 34 s. $8 fee. Uggg! I have lunch at the Subway, then continue on. Now the map shows the road route to go up Morningside or an unpaved short cut. Of course I am all about short cuts. But OMG the mud! I managed to make my way through on speed 1 and make it the station by Rouge Hill GO in just under half an hour. A quick re-dock and I bike to the Pickering border before heading back.
Now on the way back I do not want to take the muddy shortcut, but to stay on the pavement would add to much time so I tough it out again and manage to stay on my wheels. But the return ride is uphill and harder. This time it takes me 30m33s to get to Guildwood, but no fee :-D.
To get back downtown I smarten up and consult the map and plan to take the short cut at the Seminary. Well that was a mistake because the mud is even worst and for much longer. I am unable to stay on my wheels because the mud accumulates and jams the wheel at the fender. I try to clean off the mud with my shoe and then with a twig. Not fun. Anywho, I make it back Blantyre Park. 1h11m9s. Fee $8. After that it is back home by doing along the MGT, up Woodbine, over to Dawes, and then I take the Taylor Creek trail to Sunnybrook Park, then back to midtown. At the penultimate stop I phone to order Pad Thai. It is ready by the time I bike home.
Glad to have done it but probably won't do it again. Don't like having to return to Kingston road over and over, knowing I could get there faster if I just stayed on Kingston road.
I pulled my Bikeshare trips and then looked up the pairs of stations Google Maps.
Actual riding time: 6hr20m
How long it should have taken according to Google: 4hr 52m (I guess I am slow)
Total Distance: 86.8 km
Average speed: 13.46km/hr
Total trips: 15 not including the one with the technical problem.
Northern Light
Superstar
A sincere round of applause, I am not in shape to make that attempt!
Good for you.
I think that speed, over that distance, including a fair bit of uphill, and some mud is entirely impressive.
****
In terms of that route, there might be some new below the Bluffs Trail as early as late next year, but I'm not sure that it will exit at both ends (ie. not sure how useful it will be as a through route).
You clearly highlight where some 'interim' improvements can and should be made.
Perhaps the Seminary could be a real priority; the trail clearly has formal easements through the property, so it should be possible to achieve a universally 4M, paved trail over their land. Shouldn't yield much opposition (one would hope)
From Midland to Eglinton, Kingston Road has a median that isn't likely to see an exclusive transit ROW for the forseeable future, the median isn't landscaped. Perhaps a push could be made for a bi-directional trail along the south side of Kingston Road, similar to was done for a section of Lakeshore Blvd in the west end. The traffic lanes here could also be narrowed with no reduction in the number of lanes, by collectively about 2M, so there's room for landscaping too.
I would rather cut a vehicle lane each way, but you won't get that past the current councillors.
Obviously it would also be great to fill in the Bikeshare gap.
I think a credible case can be made, in the next round of expansion to extend along Kingston Rd to Rosetta McClain Gardens which would cut 2.5km off that gap.
It will probably take at least one more round after that to substantially erase the gap.
****
I would invite you to share your experience from here with Bikeshare, your Councillor and Becky Katz to hopefully nudge some positive changes forward.
LNahid2000
Senior Member
New Station added today at Yonge/Woburn. No station near Lawrence Station has been an annoyance for me in the past!