Thread by @ShabazzStuart, We’ve had some questions about curbside bike parking, so now feels like [...]

We’ve had some questions about curbside bike parking, so now feels like a good time to provide some insights into the @ooneepod strategy here.

In short, curbside parking is extremely important

We’re currently working with a European vendor to customize this Parisian design.

Curbside parking must be a key part of any serious bike parking strategy bc of the sheer amount of space availible; NYC has 4.5 million curbside car parking spaces.

Our current pods are part of a multi-framework strategy. Smaller curb units are where we see true scale in NYC.

We like this paticular design because it’s relitively attractive, sturdy and adaptable. It’s about 7.5 feet long 5 feet high and 5 feet wide.

Before I get into our design customizations, I’d like to say that our current thinking is that majority of these units would be AD FREE.

…our plan is to leverage advert/sponsorship $$$ from commercial areas to subsidize the deployment of these units in residential areas.

This is why scale is so important. 1-2 units doesn’t do it. NYC really must embrace systemic approach for true viability. @NYC_DOT knows this.

to make this work, we would implement a few design changes:

1st, we will customize the look a bit, we are currently working with our creative director and the vendor to do this.

2nd, there must be power and access control (smart locks) for these units to be truly useful...

…power will likely be supplied from solar panels in most cases where there is sunlight. In other cases a battery will supply power— these will have to be replaced manually at regular intervals.

3rd, we will add soft interior and exterior lights to the design. Interior lights..

…will be activated when door hinge is moved. While soft exterior LED lights will provide illumination for the streetscape. We envision these as color changing lights that can match local holidays or special events.

Often, people grossly underestimate the true cost of good….

…infrastructure. The cost of just one of these units after installation (CAPEX) is likely going to hover around $23-$27,000 (for just seven spaces- $3,500 per space)

Full scale would cost millions.

We believe that any serious proposal must grapple with financing and so we...

…propose to leverage sponsorship (like Citibike) and advertising (like bus shelters) in *commercial areas* to finance the growth of a vast network of pods, curbside kiosks and *in building* facilities.

Alternatively, we can rely on public financing, but this is unlikely...

…realistically, the City of New York doesn’t even pay for bikeshare, so spending millions in public dollars for secure bike parking doesn’t seem possible.

So we are proposing a alternative finacing to provide the required capital.

To be clear the….

…the most significant barrier that we face is achieving the nessecary permissions from @NYC_DOT and @NYCMayor

We would love to be able to launch an expanded pilot in NYC and work with the City to plan out the look of a system… but so far we’ve heard radio silence...

…as a local Black & Brown business, with existing successful pilots, this breaks my heart in so many ways.

We have a solution that has demonstrated traction.. nobody else is doing this work…why not work with us to expand a pilot with solutions like these.

I’ll never get it.

…anyhow, we’re releasing an impact report soon which will have information on the three pilots we’ve launched and our comprehensive vision for the future.

We hope to have that ready soon!

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to leave questions or ask me anything.

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