Reinventing the wheel

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When Russell Meddin visited France in 2006, he saw the future of Philadelphia. It happened in Lyon as he witnessed people paying a low fee to rent bicycles, returning them to the many stations that peppered the city, one not more than 300 yards from the next. There was no long-term commitment and patrons could pay dues via credit cards for a day, week, month or year and use the bike for an additional fee. Not only did the share program Velov — a combination of "velo," French for bike, and "love" — ease traffic congestion and give the environment a break, it made getting around easy and offered a "private public transportation," in Meddin’s words, that was user-friendly.

Thousands of miles and several time zones away, bikes are a prevalent part of South Philly. Not just at FDR Park can visitors be seen pedaling around, bikes are taking people everywhere — to work, the supermarket and to social outings. With the steady rise in prices at the pump, even a jaunt to Center City can be done cheaper, quicker and more conveniently on two wheels.

"It was definitely an epiphany," Meddin said. "The moment I saw someone slash their [credit] card and take a bike away, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this would be perfect for Philadelphia.’"

Alexandra Schmidt-Ullrich, a supporter of what Meddin is calling Bike Share Philadelphia, agrees, sharing her thoughts with the mayor’s office via Meddin’s Web site.

"I commute exclusively by bike, and use it to get around at all times. Philadelphia could really benefit from such a system and in many instances it will be much more efficient and faster than many public transportation options," the resident of the 1000 block of Latona Street wrote.

In January, a resolution was passed in City Council by At-Large Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown calling for a public hearing on the topic, which was held last month.

"We’re waiting for an impact study to be done by the deputy mayor of transportation and utilities, Rina Cutler. She testified to the fact that she’s in the process of hiring someone in her office to prepare the study," Joe Meade, legislative director for Reynolds Brown, said of the look into spots for stations. "We’re going to follow up with her office, stating we’d like to see the study done and, hopefully by the time [Council] reconvenes in the fall, we’ll have the study set."

First District Councilman Frank DiCicco supports the program, according to spokesman Brian Abernathy.

"The more people riding bicycles, the better the environment, the less dependence on gasoline, the less traffic congestion," Abernathy said. "We have to figure out how the program works, where the bicycles will be located. That’s all still to be determined, but we’re certainly supportive of the concept."

Meddin, 57, returned to the area after his visit to France and began talking to people about the program. In March ’07, he joined forces with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and worked throughout the year to raise awareness of the benefits of bike sharing, which also can be found in Paris and Barcelona. In January, a forum was held at the Academy of Natural Sciences with more than 400 people attending in support of creating a bike-sharing program in the city.

Meddin, a Center City native for more than 30 years, said since then, letters of support have been pouring in to the mayor’s office, with nearly a third of those 750 coming from the four ZIP codes of South Philly.

After the impact study is complete, Meade said, another hearing could take place in the fall on the implications of the study. "From that hearing, our hope would be to come up with a bill or ordinance for 2009 to consider how we could impact Philadelphia with a bike-share program."

Should the city pursue a top-notch program, the price tag would be $250 to $300 million, Meddin said. This would include stations throughout the city no further than 300 yards apart, some closer in places like the Stadium District, where several spots would most likely be put in place. The bikes would be highly advanced, each with a GPS. The highest costs would come from logistics of the stations — electricity hookups, credit card machines, rent usage and maintenance.

"The good side of it is not only do we get a great bicycle-sharing system, it would employ a lot to service the system and act as an economic generator," Meddin said.

Although upkeep on the transports is unavoidable, safety shouldn’t be a concern, he said.

"No matter what, you have paid something to use the system, you’ve made an investment. That’s very important. If these things were totally free, they’d be abused. The incentive is you want to be able to use it next time, therefore you don’t abuse it."

Most likely, Bike Share Philadelphia would follow those already in place in the rest of the world, where different countries use the same fees for use. Transactions would be done by swiping a credit card and selecting a subscription. A person using the program every day or frequently would pay $30 for an annual subscription, while an infrequent user would pay $1 for a day’s subscription. From there, bikers will be charged for increments of time. The first half-hour would be free, with the next hour a $1, then $2 for the next 30 minutes and so on.

Meddin said if bike share comes to fruition, he’s not sure if he’ll be in charge.

"Right now, my job is to advocate for this for the citizens of Philadelphia," he said. "I’m not necessarily looking to run the system, but I’m definitely looking forward to using it."

Contact Staff Writer Caitlin Meals at cmeals@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.