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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on November 4, 2013 at 8:06am

I feel like there's a better way to deter theft than cutting service. Does Velib have the same credit card requirement as Divvy? I feel that could help deter a lot – if not most crime. If someone steals a bike, their card gets charged the cost to replace it. Or are people breaking docking stations to steal the bikes?

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Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on November 4, 2013 at 8:33am

That article seems to suggest that the Velib problem it reported on was more of the vandalism/sabotage sort than simple theft. I suspect it's much easier to wreck a bike than steal it.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Dworzanski on November 4, 2013 at 11:30am

This isn't going to happen to Divvy right?

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Permalink Reply by Christine (5.0) on November 4, 2013 at 12:15pm

I don't think it's going to happen to Divvy.  From Wikipedia:

At least 3,000 bicycles were stolen in the first year of operation, a number far greater than had been initially anticipated.^[4] By August 2009, of 20,600 bikes introduced into service, about 16,000 – some 80% of the total – had been replaced due to vandalism or theft; of the latter, fully 8,000 were stolen.^[19][20] Stolen Vélib bicycles turned up in shipping containers destined for North Africa, and in cities as far away as Brașov and Bucharest, Romania.^[21][22] Vandalized cycles were sometimes thrown in the Seine River, or hung from lampposts.^[22] In 2009, the New York Times reported that it was common to see Vélib bicycles in their docking stations with flat tires, broken pedals, or other damage.^[22] In 2012, however, the Financial Times reported that “attrition rates have fallen significantly” since the first two years of the program. While maintenance continues to be an issue, the FT attributed this to “the difficulty of keeping up with the results of heavy use” of the “popular service,” in addition to willful damage or theft.^[23]

JCDecaux officials have told reporters that they underestimated the degree of potential losses from vandalism and theft, which had not significantly affected earlier JCDecaux-administered bike sharing programs in France, such as Vélo'v in Lyon. In 2009 and in 2012, repair and maintenance efforts in Paris were reportedly running at some 1,500 Vélib bicycles per day, focusing mainly on tire re-inflation.^[22][23] “The system is very costly in terms of implementation,” the head of JCDecaux's board of directors said in 2012. “But since 2011 it has achieved budgetary balance, after losing money during the first three years.”^[24] While JCDecaux does not disclose exact figures, according to Inter Press Service the system was expected to be profitable in 2012 as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9lib'#Theft_and_vandalism

I suppose that bikes could be packed up and shipped south of the border, but I don't think it's a likely scenario.  

Plus, I don't know if there's a way to request maintenance for a bicycle there.  I know there's the informal "turn the seat backwards" thing, but I don't know if there's anything more formalized.  This makes it a lot easier for their bikes to fall into disrepair.

Tom Dworzanski said:

This isn't going to happen to Divvy right?

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Permalink Reply by Tom Dworzanski on November 4, 2013 at 6:38pm

Good thoughts. I think you're right.

Christine (5.0) said:

I don't think it's going to happen to Divvy.  From Wikipedia:

At least 3,000 bicycles were stolen in the first year of operation, a number far greater than had been initially anticipated.^[4] By August 2009, of 20,600 bikes introduced into service, about 16,000 – some 80% of the total – had been replaced due to vandalism or theft; of the latter, fully 8,000 were stolen.^[19][20] Stolen Vélib bicycles turned up in shipping containers destined for North Africa, and in cities as far away as Brașov and Bucharest, Romania.^[21][22] Vandalized cycles were sometimes thrown in the Seine River, or hung from lampposts.^[22] In 2009, the New York Times reported that it was common to see Vélib bicycles in their docking stations with flat tires, broken pedals, or other damage.^[22] In 2012, however, the Financial Times reported that “attrition rates have fallen significantly” since the first two years of the program. While maintenance continues to be an issue, the FT attributed this to “the difficulty of keeping up with the results of heavy use” of the “popular service,” in addition to willful damage or theft.^[23]

JCDecaux officials have told reporters that they underestimated the degree of potential losses from vandalism and theft, which had not significantly affected earlier JCDecaux-administered bike sharing programs in France, such as Vélo'v in Lyon. In 2009 and in 2012, repair and maintenance efforts in Paris were reportedly running at some 1,500 Vélib bicycles per day, focusing mainly on tire re-inflation.^[22][23] “The system is very costly in terms of implementation,” the head of JCDecaux's board of directors said in 2012. “But since 2011 it has achieved budgetary balance, after losing money during the first three years.”^[24] While JCDecaux does not disclose exact figures, according to Inter Press Service the system was expected to be profitable in 2012 as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9lib'#Theft_and_vandalism

I suppose that bikes could be packed up and shipped south of the border, but I don't think it's a likely scenario.  

Plus, I don't know if there's a way to request maintenance for a bicycle there.  I know there's the informal "turn the seat backwards" thing, but I don't know if there's anything more formalized.  This makes it a lot easier for their bikes to fall into disrepair.

Tom Dworzanski said:

This isn't going to happen to Divvy right?

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