The first insight is that within a given region, people have varying needs and expectations when it comes to renting a bike. For instance, someone living in the city may be content with a traditional bike-sharing programme. In contrast, individuals in less densely populated areas may tend to prefer monthly bike rentals. Alternatively, those commuting by train on a daily basis might find a last-mile bike-sharing solution more appealing. The reality is that many urban areas face these diverse needs but often lack an efficient solution to address them simultaneously.
Fifteen's Augmented Bicycle Networks were deployed and used by many in different-sized European cities.
The second insight is that any urban area can meet one or all of these needs at the same time using a single technology, thanks to high-quality electric bikes and a seamless app-based rental experience.
This is the essence of Augmented Bike Networks: a new generation of bike-sharing schemes tailored to every need, enabling cities and regions to dream big and progress at their own pace. Some cities may want to combine short-term bike-sharing and long-term rentals from day one, while others may initially start with bike-sharing and gradually add other rental options. Since same hardware operates such systems, adding complementary rental options is effortless for the city.
A field-proven innovation that can be adapted to any city
Crescent Marault, Mayor of Auxerre and President of the Auxerre conurbation, had one objective: find the solutions to prevent people from entering the centre of the Burgundian town with cars. And at the same time, local authorities aim to leave no one out. The local council decided to create an Augmented Bike Network, covering the 29 municipalities within the Auxerre area, and most importantly offering electric bikes for short term as well as long term rentals in self-service. Any person living in the area can visit the nearest self-service station and get going with an electric bike for the duration of their choice.
Fifteen's Augmented Bike Network can quickly be deployed in any city, and used by commuters soonafter.
This innovative service has swiftly gained popularity among residents. In the long-term rental mode, the allocated quota of 100 bikes was exhausted within just one month. Remarkably, 82% of the long-term rental users have replaced car commutes with bikes for door-to-door home-to-work journeys. In the shared bike mode, usage surpassed initial predictions by 20%, with 80% of users having little to no biking experience before the launch of the service. Notably, 41% of shared bike rides are taken in replacement of car trips – with an average distance of less than 5 km. This initiative showcases the transformative potential of integrating various bike rental services into a cohesive, accessible, and sustainable urban mobility solution.
Don't miss Crescent Marault's talk on Wednesday 19 June from 10:45 to 11:45, From urban to rural cycling: Paving the way for car-lite communities, at Velo-city 2024 Ghent!