Did London Misjudge Demand for Bike Sharing?

In a review of the new bike sharing program in London, The Economist raises the question of whether the city wrongly predicted the existing demand for the service.

1 minute read

January 11, 2011, 1:00 PM PST

By Nate Berg

Peak demand has been less than half of what officials expected. But those running the program argue it's still in its early stages.

"Some observers wonder whether TfL has fundamentally misjudged the nature of bike demand. Its own feasibility study, published in 2008, acknowledged that the scheme could not afford to cater for the "after-rail" market (ie, longer-distance railway passengers wanting to finish their journeys by bike), lest it be swamped by the number of commuters arriving in London every morning. Docking stations were deliberately placed away from big railway terminals. But rail commuters appear to have piled onto the bikes anyway."

FULL STORY: Grit in the gears

Thursday, January 6, 2011 in The Economist

Government / Politics Infrastructure Transportation United Kingdom Bike Sharing Bicycles London Demand View More

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