Specifications include, but are not limited to: Bike Share Program Design Consultant. King County Metro Transit (KCM) is soliciting proposals from qualified companies to assist with defining a program and funding strategy for an integrated public bicycle sharing system to be ready for launch in spring 2012. The system will be deployed by King County municipalities and by other eligible entities. KCM is working with the Bike Share Partnership (BSP), an ad hoc group that currently includes the City of Seattle, City of Redmond, City of Kirkland, Sound Transit, the University of Washington, Microsoft, Seattle Children’s, and Cascade Bicycle Club. The BSP is interested in making bike sharing a reality in King County. The BSP has collaborated to promote bike sharing for various reasons, including an overall belief that it will improve the communities in which we live, work, and play. Each of the partners has identified specific planning and policy documents that support their interest in bringing bike sharing to the county and to their community. These plans and policies share the following themes and goals: · Expand bicycling into an activity that addresses public health, safety, and mobility goals · Foster an environment for bicycling as a mainstream transportation option · Promote multi-modal travel, including bus and train · Support reductions in drive-alone rates · Promote tourism · Support climate change goals All of the organizations recognize the ‘last mile’ advantages that bike sharing will provide when paired with the region’s transit systems, and a bike share program design should address public transportation integration. These plans and policies demonstrate that the BSP is highly interested in activating its communities, campuses, and corporate workplaces with bike sharing. The BSP will bring bike sharing to a large target market, consisting of over: · 65,000 students, staff and faculty at the University of Washington · 40,000 full-time employees of Microsoft · 5,000 clinical and administrative Children’s Hospital staff spread over 20 worksites · Hundreds of thousands of bus, light rail, commuter rail, and streetcar riders · 13,000 Cascade Bicycle Club members · Residents and visitors of Seattle, Kirkland, Redmond, and Bellevue In total, the King County urban centers have a potential bike share market of over 1 million residents
