CDOT needs a DIVVY Program Director.

"Amazing Opportunity to encourage support for Chicago Bicycle Manuf...

Thanks to the Chicago Center for Green Technology CCGT for bringing this to the public eye.  We at old world bicycle consider this an amazing opportunity to encourage chicago and community support to start manufacturing a Chicago designed, engineered, built and manufactured commercial bicycle company.  

Click for more info

If CDOT is going to be spending 65 million dollars every 5 or 6 years?  

"Don't you think we should keep it local?"

Views: 405

Attachments:

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

From what I can tell, both threads are discussing the same position. Given that it is still essentially impossible to search the Chainlink, I don't see how we can reasonably expect not to see duplicate threads. But they are not duplicates anyway. Julie's thread was an announcement of a position. 

But Skip's thread is asking a question about the Divvy program in general - and it is a great question - given that we really need to diversify the kinds of work available in Chicago, why are we sending millions (?) of dollars a year to China for bikes that we should be building right here?

I asked Gable Klein the same question before Divvy launched and he said, essentially that if we added a local manufacturing requirement to the Divvy contract that it just wouldn't get done. Gabe Klein was in a hurry and as we all know, haste makes waste. We wasted a huge opportunity to employ Chicagoans. Now that Gabe Klein is gone I see no reason why we can't ask the same question again and expect, even demand a better answer.

  

Are the Divvy bikes made in China?

I find conflicting information online. Some sources say that Bixi bikes (the Divvy supplier) are made in Quebec by Cycles Devinci. But an article about the company's financial difficulties (http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Montreal+auditor+general+voices...) from September indicates that they are made in China. Was there a recent in change? Do the Divvy bikes indicate a country of origin on the frame?

Sad irony. Schwinn bikes were originally made right here in Chicago and dominated the market. I have some fond memories of those bikes when I was a kid. Sure would be nice to bring that manufacturing back to it's roots. Those Divvy bikes are pricey. I know there are a few custom frame makers around here. Maybe we could crowdsource some funding and take back what rightfully belongs to us in the first place.


Eli said:

Are the Divvy bikes made in China?

I find conflicting information online. Some sources say that Bixi bikes (the Divvy supplier) are made in Quebec by Cycles Devinci. But an article about the company's financial difficulties (http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Montreal+auditor+general+voices...) from September indicates that they are made in China. Was there a recent in change? Do the Divvy bikes indicate a country of origin on the frame?

Shipment and transport from China alone seems to outweigh (literally and figuratively) the good of biking in terms of the city's carbon footprint. If they were made here, however...

Oh there is an interesting question! How many miles must a DIVVY travel before it makes up for its own carbon footprint?

And then how would that change if the bike (and its associated infrastructure) were built locally?


Sarah D. 1-3.3 said:

Shipment and transport from China alone seems to outweigh (literally and figuratively) the good of biking in terms of the city's carbon footprint. If they were made here, however...

RSS

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service