WEBVTT 00:00:08.048 --> 00:00:11.418 Historically, China is very well known for bicycling 00:00:11.418 --> 00:00:14.533 and I think there was a period of time, probably a decade or two ago 00:00:14.533 --> 00:00:16.618 where the focus went to car culture 00:00:16.618 --> 00:00:20.310 and now leaders are realizing its absolutely imposssible 00:00:20.310 --> 00:00:23.118 to build enough roads for everyone to have a car 00:00:23.118 --> 00:00:25.233 and so you need to look at alternative methods 00:00:25.233 --> 00:00:28.181 and those alternative methods are like bus rapid transit, metro, 00:00:28.181 --> 00:00:30.434 but none of them solve the last mile issue, 00:00:30.461 --> 00:00:32.611 and that's where bike sharing comes in 00:00:37.271 --> 00:00:41.311 The public bicycle system was incorporated as part of the public transportation system in Hangzhou. NOTE Paragraph 00:00:41.311 --> 00:00:43.412 Hangzhou is located in southeast China. 00:00:43.412 --> 00:00:47.147 It is the the capital of Zhijiang Province. 00:00:47.147 --> 00:00:54.822 It is also the economic, political, and cultural center. 00:00:54.822 --> 00:00:58.584 It has a population of 6.77 million 00:00:58.584 --> 00:01:02.369 Hangzhou Public Bicycle System trial operation 00:01:02.369 --> 00:01:03.964 started on May 1, 2008. 00:01:03.964 --> 00:01:07.268 It has 61 service points and 2,800 bicycles. 00:01:07.268 --> 00:01:12.052 Now, we have 2,050 service points and 51,500 bicycles. 00:01:12.052 --> 00:01:22.036 Average daily usages are about 240,000 trips with peaks of 320,000. 00:01:22.036 --> 00:01:24.405 The distance between 2 service points in the main districts 00:01:24.405 --> 00:01:30.604 is 200-300 meters and the distance between two service points in the suburbs is about 500-800 meters. 00:01:30.604 --> 00:01:33.112 The bicycle is free during the first hour. We charge RMB1 for the 2nd hour 00:01:33.112 --> 00:01:35.968 and RMB2 for the 3rd hour. 00:01:35.968 --> 00:01:42.214 After that it's RMB3/hour. 00:01:42.214 --> 00:01:47.507 Its very integrated with other forms of public transport, like the bus parking and the water taxis` 00:01:47.507 --> 00:01:51.015 As a policy, if you have just used your card to pay the bus fee 00:01:51.015 --> 00:01:58.306 you can use the bicycle for free for the first 90 minutes. 00:01:58.306 --> 00:02:05.527 "When I go to work in the morning, I first choose the bus, then I choose the bike." 00:02:07.083 --> 00:02:10.101 We are familiar with the traffic congestion in Hangzhou. 00:02:10.101 --> 00:02:16.440 Bikes are speedy and very convenient. 00:02:16.440 --> 00:02:18.321 There are many bike stations conveniently located 00:02:18.321 --> 00:02:23.917 in residential complexes along major streets 00:02:24.745 --> 00:02:28.817 I don't think there is anywhere in Hangzhou you could stand for more than a minute or two 00:02:28.817 --> 00:02:31.840 where you wouldn't have a Hangzhou public bike go past you. 00:02:31.886 --> 00:02:35.122 We often use both the public transit and 00:02:35.122 --> 00:02:38.128 the public bikes on our daily commute. 00:02:38.128 --> 00:02:47.267 It's very convenient that we can bike from the transit stop to the doorway of our workplace. 00:02:47.267 --> 00:02:49.569 According to an authoritative survey in Hangzhou 00:02:49.569 --> 00:02:53.073 the public bicycle system had the highest satisfaction 00:02:53.073 --> 00:02:57.447 rate among all the projects in city development. 00:02:57.447 --> 00:03:00.213 When I need to take my child to tutoring, 00:03:00.213 --> 00:03:03.116 it's easier to use a bike because it is difficult to 00:03:03.116 --> 00:03:05.052 find parking for cars. 00:03:05.185 --> 00:03:10.450 "The public bicycle is more convenient for me, if I take my own bicycle it's not worth coming 00:03:10.450 --> 00:03:16.908 because from my home to West Lake is very far, about more than 10 kilometers." 00:03:17.531 --> 00:03:20.000 Now the bike return stations are everywhere. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:22.826 There are two stations in the complex where I live. 00:03:22.826 --> 00:03:25.473 There are many service points in Hangzhou. 00:03:25.473 --> 00:03:28.678 People do not need to steal our bicycles 00:03:28.678 --> 00:03:36.015 because they are basically free to use. 00:03:36.015 --> 00:03:38.985 The people cherish the system and they 00:03:38.985 --> 00:03:40.868 would not do anything to destroy it. 00:03:40.868 --> 00:03:43.153 For an electric bike, I have to worry about where to park it, 00:03:43.153 --> 00:03:45.892 and whether it's going to be stolen. 00:03:45.892 --> 00:03:47.950 But I can put a lock on the public bike anywhere 00:03:47.950 --> 00:03:49.513 and no one will steal it. 00:03:49.513 --> 00:03:51.798 And, I don't need to return it to the same place. 00:03:51.798 --> 00:03:55.172 Hangzhou Public Bicycle Company is an affiliate of 00:03:55.172 --> 00:03:58.446 the Public Transportation Group. 00:03:58.446 --> 00:04:10.526 The company is responsible for the construction, operation, and development 00:04:10.526 --> 00:04:12.378 I don't live here. 00:04:12.378 --> 00:04:15.989 I travel here mostly for business and sometimes I swing 00:04:15.989 --> 00:04:18.972 by the West Lake and hang around a little. 00:04:18.972 --> 00:04:21.480 They say it's convenient to rent a bike here, so here I am. 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:24.664 It's easy to ride a bike for sightseeing around West Lake. 00:04:24.664 --> 00:04:30.164 I have been using the public bikes along with the public transit system. 00:04:30.164 --> 00:04:32.440 Biking certainly is cheaper than taking the taxi, 00:04:32.440 --> 00:04:36.009 and faster than walking. 00:04:36.009 --> 00:04:43.568 It's convenient, and the rental is essentially free. 00:04:43.818 --> 00:04:48.288 The scale of bike sharing in Hangzhou and in China in general 00:04:48.288 --> 00:04:52.025 is just completely off the map of what we see in Europe and the Americas. 00:04:52.025 --> 00:04:55.010 In my opinion, public bicycle systems will become an important 00:04:55.010 --> 00:05:14.987 part of the public transportation systems in cities 00:05:15.001 --> 00:05:19.170 Hangzhou Bicycle Company expects to grow to 175,000 bicycles by 2020.