'A fleet of 4,000 bikes' to replace current Dublin Bikes sharing scheme
A new city-wide bike sharing scheme will provide "a fleet of around 4,000 bikes" following the replacement of the Dublin Bikes Scheme in 2027.
Dublin Bikes was launched in 2009 and is run by JCDecaux who support the provision of 1,600 bikes across 115 stations within the Canals. However, after 18 years of service, the contract is coming to an end and Dublin City Council is investigating a major overhaul.
Executive Manager Brendan O’Brien updated councillors on these plans at yesterday’s Mobility and Public Realm SPC where he revealed the current contract will conclude in September 2027. As DCC does not own the bikes or stations currently in operation, this replacement has the potential to act as a new beginning for bike sharing in the city.
Mr O’Brien described Dublin Bikes as a key project for the council that has helped encourage cycling across the city. As an early adopter to bike sharing, he explained that many other European cities followed their lead and now with the contract coming to an end they can properly exploit all the technological advancements that have occurred over the past almost two decades.
He said they wish to “retain the good things about the scheme” while moving into the future, and although things such as stationless bikes can be considered, they want to avoid the problems seen in other European cities such as bikes being abandoned on footpaths. “That’s something we have by and large avoided in the city, but in other European cities it’s quite shocking,” he said.
A council report stated that DCC intends to enter a procurement process to ensure bike sharing continues in the city post-2027 and that under the new system the council should own the stations, and potentially the bikes, themselves. They would then like an operator appointed for the operational, maintenance, and upgrade needs to the equipment.
With one operator across the city, this could impact other providers like Bleeper and Moby who operate under a license granted by the council. These operators are currently responsible for around 900 additional bikes that must use bike stands as opposed to docking stations.
Mr O’Brien said they are talking with providers in Europe and the United States about a potential new scheme. He said a workshop will be organised for councillors to get the views of elected members in more detail.
Chairperson of the Mobility SPC and Green Party Councillor Janet Horner said bike sharing has been a major success around the city, but that the innovation and transformation in the landscape since 2009 offers new opportunities. She cited the potential for electric bikes and said the replacement “is a big opportunity for us to take the next step” in delivering a world-class system.
The expansion of bike sharing across the city was widely welcomed, although councillors are calling for some type of cross-collaboration with Dublin’s three other local authorities. From a docking standpoint this brings up some difficulties, although Mr O’Brien said they are interested in finding a way to allow cyclists to rent a bike in one local authority and dock it in another. This is something other cities have achieved, with Mr O’Brien stating Barcelona has a “double station” system for those crossing into new territories.
However, Sinn Féin Cllr Ciarán Ó Meachair said that his area of Dublin 8 is still waiting on stations to be installed and locals often have to rely on the stationless bike shares. He said “I don’t think the stationless system is working very well” and said there is a problem with vandalism and bikes being “thrown across footpaths” in the Liberties.
He said bikes are often disturbed by vans “in one big chunk" which can cause accessibility problems as they block buddies and wheelchairs on the footpath. “I welcome proposals to expand outside the Canals, but there’s a huge chunk that was supposed to be part of the rollout that still never got stations,” he said.
Keeping costs low is something Green Party Cllr Feljin Jose pushed for, as the relatively low fees has helped encourage many people to take up cycling while contributing to the council’s Active Travel goals. Under Dublin Bikes, an annual subscription fee of €35 gives cyclists the first 30 minutes of their journey for free, meaning there are plenty of subscribers who rarely pay any additional fees .
Green Party Cllr Donna Cooney said the replacement offers a chance to rethink the locations where bikes are provided, stating that train stations and outside medical facilities would benefit a lot of people. Bike sharing near public transport means that people with long commutes will be more likely to cycle their final stretch to work and bikes at hospitals would allow essential workers like doctors and nurses to avail of the service.
Keeping everything contained within a single app is another goal of the council according to Mr O'Brien. He said they also hope to utilise new technology and incorporate bike sharing into the Leap Card , or whatever its equivalent is in the future. He said things like GPS sensors that weren't as common in 2009 also offer new opportunities for taking a data-driven approach to future developments.
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