HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/7/2024 Item 7d, Mills
Russell S Mills <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:City Council Meeting, May 7, 2024 - Item 7d AUTHORIZE RELEASE OF REQUEST FOR
PROPOSALS FOR A SHARED PUBLIC BICYCLE PROGRAM
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To: City Council
From: Russell Mills, Chair ATC
Re: City Council Meeting, May 7, 2024 - Item 7d AUTHORIZE RELEASE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR A
SHARED PUBLIC BICYCLE PROGRAM
Date: May 7, 2024, 1:50 PM
Dear Council Members:
The RFP before you tonight largely reflects the support and input by the ATC for the subject RFP. However, it
appears there are two issues that could be better emphasized, as follows.
The ATC discussed the desirability of having speed governors on the bikes. This is mentioned in the report but I did
not see it in the RFP. This is an important consideration for two reasons – many users can be expected to NOT have
robust bike skills and many bikes will likely be operated in congested areas, e.g., downtown. Class 1 ebikes have a
maximum speed of 20 mph. This seemed potentially excessive to the ATC.
The specifications for the ebikes focus primarily on mechanical capabilities common to all bikes, not just ebikes.
These are important, but some specifications specific to ebikes should also be included. The ATC specifically was
interested in the range of a fully charged bike, which incorporates battery size and electrical power delivery. These
capacities will be important to a successful program in SLO, particularly when considering the hilly nature of some
of our streets.
Thank you for your consideration,
Russell Mills
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