Velometer asks: “Why count bikes?  Because we want bikes to count.”

As part of this year’s San Francisco Bike to Work Day, the city debuted its first digital bicycle counter on Market Street, one of the city’s busiest transportation corridors.  Watch this stop motion video here.

On Bike to Work Day alone, bicycles accounted for 76% of traffic on sections of Market Street during peak commuter times.

There are digital bicycle counters in several European cities, including many in Copenhagen.  We reported on this a few years back in our blog post, Quantifying Civilization.

Copenhagen Bicycle Counter from PUBLIC Bikes on Vimeo.

We wrote: “The stream of cyclists felt like the very definition of freedom and self-reliance. And people looked happy and alive as they pedaled along on their way to work or school—it was a collective experience of a high order.  I submit that this bike counter is as good a “civilization meter” as anything that history has provided.”  Watch a video capturing the bicycle counter in Copenhagen here.

You’ll count more people riding bikes in Copenhagen than in San Francisco on most days. But we’re making serious progress.  Kudos to San Francisco, Kongregate, SFMTA, SF Bicycle Coalition and all the good folks who helped to make this happen.

Another great thing to count on Market Street everyday are the numbers of people riding PUBLIC bikes.  Thanks to all of you for being part of this transformation.

We were touring Italy last month checking out the urban biking scene in a range of cities. This makes for some interesting comparisons to the United States and leads us to this quiz:

What is the biggest difference in urban biking in Italy compared with the US?

1. Many Italian cities have retrofitted separate bike lanes in their cities.

2. Bicyclists can ride in bus lanes and on sidewalks without irritating pedestrians.

3. Bicyclists are not intimidated by cobblestone streets, streetcar tracks or rush hour traffic.

4. There are more older people than younger people riding bikes.

5. Helmets are rarely seen except on tourists.

6. Taxis, busses, trucks, and trams all seem to respect cyclists.

7. Bike Share programs are common even in smaller cities.

8. Lycra is not the prevalent dress code.

9. E-bikes are everywhere, and some are quite elegant.

10. There are more nuns riding bikes.

Ok, that was a fake quiz. All of the above are true. The biggest difference is that you see a lot more women riding than men. Mothers texting while riding, older women with groceries, younger women headed to work. They all seem to ride confidently making left hand turns in traffic and riding over rail lines, without looking stressed out. Perhaps this is what accounts for the seeming lack of road rage, the lower levels of testosterone on the streets?

What makes this all the more interesting is that the Italians love their cars (and speed) like almost no other nation on Earth. They have an illustrious tradition that ranges from common Fiats and Alfa Romeos to fancy Ferraris, Maseratis, Bugattis, and many other iconic cars. Car ownership per capita is much higher than any other major European country, despite the fact that they pay more for gas than any other European country (~ $10 a gallon). But they seem to get along on their city roads. Italians taught us to respect and enjoy pizza and pasta. Perhaps they can teach us how to respect and enjoy each other on the streets?

Our 2013 PUBLIC bikes just arrived this week, so we are back in stock on almost all models and there are a range of new colors and new models, even including a road bike. We’ve made some minor changes in some visual details, such as new stripes, we’ve upgraded our handle bar grips, and even added water bottle cage braze-ons to our higher end bikes. On top of it all, we’re kicking off the season with special prices across the boards.

Our most popular PUBLIC C7 for example is now available in a classic red and priced at $449 (regularly $595).

We added two new, 7-speed internally geared city bikes the PUBLIC C7i and PUBLIC V7i priced at $649 (regularly $795) in royal blue and red in the step-through frame style and black in the classic diamond frame style.

If you’re new to internally geared bikes, these allow you to shift gears when stationary or coasting for easy stop-and-go riding. With the gears sealed in the rear hub, the bikes are more impervious to bumpy roads, bad weather and the all the challenging conditions that daily city riding dishes out. If you can find a lower priced 7-speed internally geared bike with similar PUBLIC features – buy it!

We’ve been fine-tuning our premium 8-speed internal hub PUBLIC M8i and PUBLIC D8i since we launched. These are available in a range of new colors and we are back in stock on the larger sizes that tend to sell out quickly. We’ve priced these at $899 (regularly $1095) to kick off the season.

We are introducing our first ever city road bike, the PUBLIC R16, to meet the requests for an affordable and classic road bike for the modern commuter and weekend recreational rider. We are having a contest in which we will give away two of these city road bikes. Enter contest here.

All models can be shipped to your door 99% assembled, Ready to Ride. Roll into this summer with a smile.

We are excited to introduce the first ever PUBLIC city road bike. Taking inspiration from classic and vintage steel framed road bikes, the PUBLIC R16 is a stylish 16 speed lightweight bike designed for the modern commuter and weekend recreational rider. We will have the R16 in stock by late May available in three sizes in black, cream, and green. But before we make these available for sale to the general public, we are giving two away to lucky winners. The R16 is priced at $1195 with a special introductory price of $999 this spring.

2 WAYS TO WIN A PUBLIC R16

1. Share the contest with a friend by entering their email address here.

2. Share the contest with your friends on facebook. Get three friends to sign-up and qualify to win.

If you’re already on our email list, then you are automatically entered into the contest. Everyone who enters the contest opts-in to the PUBLIC email list. Deadline to enter is June 1, 2013.

This spring we supported two of our favorite Bay Area non-profit community art centers with bikes embellished with designs based on their artists’ work: Creative Growth based in Oakland and Southern Exposure based in San Francisco. Each organization has a very unique community based program.

Two of our bikes fetched $3,000 for Creative Growth in their annual Beyond Trend fashion auction, a very cool event. Creative Growth, based in Oakland, serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities by providing a professional studio for artistic development. They have succeeded in elevating the awareness of their artists to a national level. Dan Miller being an example is a part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art NYC. Another Creative Growth artist, William Scott also recently had his work acquired MOMA. We developed bikes designs off these two artists’ works. Check out the photo gallery here.

To support their annual art auction Southern Exposure selected two top tier local artists to create custom designs on PUBLIC Bikes: Jennifer Morla and Michael Arcega. Both treated PUBLIC bikes as pieces of modern design with hard-edged, abstract geometric shapes beautifully wrapped around the bicycle frame. You can see a photo gallery of the Southern Exposure art bikes here.

While we can't donate a bike to every cause our customers or we care about, we can sell a bike at a reduced price to community organizations that want to raise money to support worthy causes.

Our experience is that if a highly regarded local artist is recruited to help create a one-of-a-kind custom PUBLIC bike, a community organization can raise upwards to $2,000-$4,000 on a special custom PUBLIC bike. Send us an email if you want to put some wheels in motion for a cause you care about.

We celebrated the launch of PUBLIC WORKS with a photo contest. We asked contestants to explore the same theme we asked of our PUBLIC WORKS designers – interpret the concept of "public" with a vision to reclaim urban streets, sidewalks and spaces for walking, biking and other social purposes. Many excellent and provocative photos came in and our team selected favorites. Thanks to all the participants.

 PUBLIC Choice and People's Choice winners won a new PUBLIC bike. We gave out several second place prizes and highlighted honorable mentions. Read on to hear why we selected them with comments from our staff.

PUBLIC Choice Grand Prize Winner
Photo credit: Manuel Acosta



”This is a unique composition that lends itself to a variety of provocative interpretations. Bikes can lead us to unknown destinations like Alice going down the rabbit hole. This photo also makes us think differently about our built environment, and it’s a very elegant black and white study in form and texture.” – Rob from PUBLIC

PUBLIC Choice Second Prize Winner
Photo credit: Ian Tuttle

“Wow. There is so much about this photo that we love. The perspective. The contrast of shadow and hazy yellowish light. The silhouettes of people sharing this public space together, especially the adult holding a child’s hand. And the crack leading to somewhere seemingly far into the distance, but perhaps close by. The crack reminds us of Andy Goldsworthy’s art, like the continuous crack in front of San Francisco’s deYoung Museum.” – Dan from PUBLIC

PUBLIC Choice Second Prize Winner
Photo credit: John Keller

“I did think it interesting the bicyclist had a rooster rather than a bell… It gives a whole new meaning to playing chicken!” – John Keller

“Everyday urban life gets interesting when you throw a rooster on a bike. It reminds us to stay open and playful about the possibilities of how we reclaim our concrete cities. Bikes, chickens, sidewalk cafes, murals, parks and guerilla gardens all contribute to more livable cities that enliven community connections. Keller’s composition sensibilities remind us of Norman Rockwell with a 21st century twist. Ride on rooster.” – Sally from PUBLIC

PUBLIC Choice Second Prize Winner
Photo credit: Erin Scheopner

“Albert Einstein on his bicycle is a recognizable image for bicycle enthusiasts. You can see joy in his smile underneath his famous moustache. It’s common lore that Einstein came up with the theory of relativity while riding a bike. His famous statement, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep balance, you must keep moving” is often quoted. But when you place a familiar image of Einstein on a bright red telephone booth, you instantly have to stop and take notice. Public art enhances our civic life and this particular image makes us think: Albert’s hint: Riding a bike + Telephone Booth = Teletransportation.” – Noelle from PUBLIC

People’s Choice Winner
Photo credit: Ana K. Gracia

PUBLIC Choice Honorable Mention
Photo credit: Eric Fernandez

PUBLIC Choice Honorable Mention
Photo credit: Dustin Goodwin

PUBLIC Choice Honorable Mention
Photo credit: Patrick Beyer

PUBLIC Choice Honorable Mention
Photo credit: Carlo Pellegrini

PUBLIC Choice Honorable Mention
Photo credit: Gareth

Clet Abraham

I was walking through a small town in Tuscany recently and did a double take on this road sign that someone had modified into a witty graphic statement. Two things struck me about it beyond its cleverness. First, that the town was comfortable leaving this road sign in place, rather than freaking out about its mildly subversive nature. Secondly, that humor, while essential to our psychic well-being is rarely designed into our human-made world. Try to find examples of humor in any form of design, products, architecture, landscape, etc. and this becomes obvious.  You might find a witty bumper sticker or billboard, but examples of humor on our streets are quite rare.

This is only logical. When it comes to the design of streets and public spaces in general we must first concern ourselves with issues of safety, no laughing matter. And we sometimes use design to make the urban environment friendlier by lining freeways or streets with trees, creating parks and fountains and public spaces that give us relief from the severe concrete character of the cities. But we stop short of injecting humor. Humor almost always pokes fun at some constituency, so it’s by definition not politically correct thus unlikely to get civic approval. So if we want to find humor we have to create it on our own as French artist Clet Abraham did with this piece.

Abraham has been performing these interventions around Europe, much to the displeasure of many city councils. Abraham does intend a serious message with his art – asking us to think twice about following instructions blindly. He believes that much public signage is done with sensitivity to the urban landscape. This may well be true, but I think the underlying humor far outweighs the didactic message of his work.

How refreshing and optimistic it would be if cyclists and motorists alike made their way through the streets with a sense of humor and with smiles instead of resentment on our faces. Imagine a Critical Mass of Comedy or a city bus with witty messages on its interior and exterior. It might be the antidote to aggression and road rage, or at least one way at coming at this problem.

Rob is the Chief PUBLIC Servant. He founded PUBLIC because of his belief that well-designed PUBLIC spaces are the bedrock of civilization.

A few years ago, I participated in a National Quarterly Forum called the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, where designers and urbanists get together and share insights. I learned a lot there. In fact it was one of the events that inspired me to start PUBLIC.  At that time, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design was run by Jeff Speck, an architect, planner, author, and speaker.  We became friends. That’s the disclosure part of this newsletter.  So if I’m going to tout a book by a personal friend, there better be some pretty good reasons to recommend it. There are many.

First of all, it is quite simply one of the best books about our cities that I’ve ever come across. Secondly, Walkable City could just as easily be called Bikeable City as the same issues pertain.

If you take a copy of Jeff’s book to your local downtown area, situate yourself in a café or (weather permitting) on a bench somewhere and read the first 50 pages while periodically looking up and noticing what’s going on around you ­– the width of the sidewalks, the number of lanes in the street, the parking, the mix of stores and cafés, how fast the cars are going, how many people are on foot or bike – you’ll receive a unique and invaluable urbanist education. You will also be entertained. Jeff is witty, provocative, and appropriately irreverent.

There are many other excellent books that deal with urban issues from Lewis Mumford’s The City in History to Jane Jacobs to Donald Shoup’s The High Cost of Free Parking. These are all excellent and readable but they are lengthy tomes, and likely too much information for many people. Walkable City is a good, quick read. It’s fast-paced, clever, and alarming in parts. Jeff’s overall thesis is that improving our downtowns is as key to our society’s health and well-being as any other action we might embark upon. His insights will challenge liberals and conservatives alike. This is not a doomsday book, as Jeff has as many examples of positive developments as he does critiques. For instance, there is a provocative section on why much of suburbia might become the next slums, and why “white flight” to the suburbs is now turning into “bright flight” back to the cities by young, educated people.

There are thirty substantive reviews on Amazon where Jeff’s book has a 5 star rating (and a current price of $15.88). Here are a few snippets I have culled from the book.

“The real problem with cars is not that they do not get enough miles per gallon, it’s that they make it too easy for us to spread out (sprawl) and encourage forms of development that are inherently wasteful.” Hybrids are not the solution.

“The average American family spends $14K a year driving multiple cars, about 20% of its income. (This figure was 10% in the 1960’s).” For many working class families more money is spent on cars than on housing.

“In these cities, and in most of our nation, the car is no longer an instrument of freedom, but rather a bulky, expensive, and dangerous prosthetic device, a prerequisite to viable citizenship.”

“It would seem that only one thing is more destructive to the health of our downtowns than welcoming cars unconditionally and that is getting rid of them entirely.  The proper response to obesity is not to stop eating, and most stores need car traffic to survive.”

Most of us like driving but hate commuting. Some polls that show that “a 23-minute commute had the same effect on happiness as a 19 percent reduction in income” and another poll where “5 percent of respondents said that they would be willing to divorce their spouse if that meant they could stop commuting and work from home instead”.

We are the least active generation of Americans in history. “Increasingly, it is becoming clear that the American health-care crisis is largely an urban-design crisis, with walkability at the heart of the cure.”  We are fat because we sit in cars rather than walk.

Car crashes have killed 3.2 million Americans, considerably more than all of our wars combined.  It is the leading cause of death for all Americans between the ages of 1 and 34.

If you are book phobic, listen to Jeff on NPR Weekend Edition.

His website is also a Speck of Brilliance.

Rob is the Chief PUBLIC Servant. He founded PUBLIC because of his belief that well-designed PUBLIC spaces are the bedrock of civilization.

“We can live without it, we may live longer without it, and the doggie bag will survive just fine.”
-Mayor Bloomberg comparing plastic foam containers to lead paint.

We show love in many ways. This Valentines week, it’s mostly personal, private, and driven by commercial interests (like PUBLIC putting polka dot bikes on SALE!).  When I read in the New York Times that NYC Mayor Bloomberg was taking on the plastic-foam container industry, it reminded me of the exceptional civic love he’s shown for his city, especially for the health and well being of its residents and culture. He does truly embody the “I heart NY“ spirit that Milton Glaser so elegantly gave form to in this iconic logo.

Bloomberg’s other crusades of love have been in the news this past week, and predictably where he has been opposed by strong forces in political battles, many of which he may not win or that may be overturned when he departs office. His bike lanes initiatives made the news this week along with his smart taxi programs. Some of his courageous positions often contrast what we see in Washington, where love seems to be more easily purchased by lobbyists and where acts of genuine civic leadership take a backseat to personal interests.

It might be a stretch to think of any billionaire as a Cupid, but we hope that he can be a realistic role model for other politicians. And some his programs such as stop and frisk are controversial. But we hope that his heartfelt and genuine commitment can be a realistic role model for other politicians.

Rob is the Chief PUBLIC Servant. He founded PUBLIC because of his belief that well-designed PUBLIC spaces are the bedrock of civilization.

Back by popular demand, we’re organizing two Basic Bike Clinics in Oakland during two Wednesday nights in February.

Both clinics will be held from 6:30-8pm at 205 Alice Street @ 2nd near Jack London Square

Wednesday, Feb. 6 Women’s Only Bike Clinic
Wednesday, Feb. 13 Bike Clinic Open to Everyone

In 1-hour PUBLIC employee Jillian Betterly will teach you the basic mechanics of a bike. The purpose of this clinic is to help you understand basic mechanics of a bike with special emphasis on our PUBLIC bikes. Learn how your gearing works, how to change a flat, best ways to lock your bike, and basic troubleshooting of brakes, chain and shifters.

After the 1-hour workshop, stay longer for Q&A. It’s optional to bring your PUBLIC bike or your own bike. Jillian will spend the hour doing a demo on a PUBLIC bike & then can spend some time after the Q&A helping individuals with their bikes.

This free clinic is limited to 20 participants. Please send email to rsvp@publicbikes.com to reserve your spot with the either Feb 6 or Feb 13 in the email subject line.