1. History: SABS (501c3) operates the "B-cycle" program, launched in March 2011 with 14 bike stations as the first public bikeshare program in Texas.
Growth: SABS has grown to 58 stations with 500 bikes in 5 years.
Memberships: Day 24 hour pass, monthly and annual memberships.
Demographics: San Antonio: 1.7 mil people; downtown 360,000
13 mil visitors/year

2. A comparative analysis in defining operational efficiencies
A tale of 2 cities
A comparative analysis in defining operational efficiencies
Austin, Texas
San Antonio, Texas

3. Core Operational Challenges
No matter who you are, what you are or where you are…geographically or demographically
we face the same core operational challenges
starting with initial station placement, bike/station balancing and staff movement and communication

4. Scenario: 2 cities; 80 miles; world’s apart
Launched in San Antonio in March, 2011
14 stations
grew to 55 stations over 3 years
Launched Austin December, 2013
11 stations
grew to 40 in 3 months!

5. INTITAL STATION PLACEMENT
Each city has their own challenges and constraints including
geographical
stakeholders
political
funding
ONE TIP: Consider how people will primarily want to use the system: for transportation connections, recreational and/or destination driven or all 3

6. Station size and placement
Austin:
Connects with transit better than SA
Many stations placed in street
Several large events that bike share solves immediate problem
Is a more compact program

7. Station size and placement
San Antonio:
Focused heavily on destinations
Large double-sided stations
Is over 25 linear miles

8. A tale of 2 cities… continues25
2.8

10. Austin System

11. Siting Considerations
Learn from existing programs – can we strive to minimize imbalances during the station siting process.
For example - As a result of tactical planning and observations, London’s Barclay program has set a minimum number of docks per station such that so future station within the City of London will be a minimum of 25 docks.

12. Siting Considerations cont.
Austin expanded some key stations to add capacity and offset balancing issues
If unable to increase capacity at existing stations, the use of satellite stations may be a potential remedy and can be a strategy for events or certain volume times.

13. STATION/BIKE BALANCING
Understanding how people use or try to use your system is at the heart of balancing challenges.
In Austin, people ride the train in to Convention Center, hop on a B-cycle to get them to work.
Early morning the CC station needs to be full so bikes are available and then city center needs to be “low” to receive all those bikes and then the reverse for the afternoon return commute
Austin is a true 24 hour system with usage all times of day and night

14. Station/Bike Balancing cont
If system used more recreational and destination focused
Harder to predict where people will start from and where they want to go.
San Antonio has the Museum Reach and Mission Reach where locals and tourists want to venture so it doesn’t follow a predictable pattern
Is more of a 8-5p city; night time activity along the Riverwalk below street level where stations are located

15. Station/Bike Balancing cont
Operators have 2 basic solutions to balancing:
repositioning bikes by moving them with trucks, vans, trailers
(which many argue defeats the advantages of using alternate transportation and carbon offset)
and/or increasing capacity by adding more station locations or making stations larger in high demand areas which could enhance operational efficiency.

16. COMMUNICATION / MOVING STAFF
Operational decisions:
which stations need to be rebalanced
what time they need to be rebalanced
which vehicles should do the rebalancing
how many bikes should be placed at each rebalanced station

17. Communication/Moving Staff cont.
Austin - high automobile traffic during peak hours is a factor contributing to system imbalances. It is possible that automobile congestion results in slower rebalancing operations.
San Antonio - Rebalancing trucks have a long distance to drive to a destination station, thereby increasing the travel time between stations and slowing rebalancing operations.

18. Condensed system City streets Construction
Austin first generation truck
Condensed system
City streets
Construction
Austin next generation truck

19. San Antonio Van + Trailer
Linear system
Big stations
San Antonio Van + Trailer

20. Common Rebalancing Methods
use of a central dispatcher to direct rebalancing staff; used in Austin for big events like SXSW and ACL
real-time communication between rebalancing staff to coordinate which stations should be rebalanced, like using radios for operations and customer service communication. Google Hangouts can be used as well as less expense option

21. Common Rebalancing Methods
predetermined routes for rebalancing crews; used in Austin for events
zones or territories for which rebalancing staff are responsible; used in SA on weekends due to linear system
Most systems use a combination of rebalancing strategies

22. IN SUMMARY Every system is different but we all share the same issues
what matters is how we process this info and determine best practices
Keep in mind future opportunities for expansion when choosing station locations:
if a location excels, it will be financially and operationally more advantageous to expand station as opposed to adding a new station.
Bikeshare operations managers face a number of challenges: highly fluctuating demand, station locations, communication and vehicle routing

23. Thank You !!
JD Simpson
Executive Director
sanantonio.bcycle.com