Over the year however a different picture and set of priorities gradually began to take shape. As a result of a months-long process of research, hands-on experience, field visits, conversations and exchanges with cities, various concerned public agencies and key players in the city cycle projects themselves, we came to understand, that something more than a print report was required. In part this is because of the very fast breaking nature of the field, in which it is safe to say that eighteen months is once again a generation. More than that, we began to understand what is needed in order to respond to the needs of local agencies as they move up their learning curves on these matters. The seven-part interactive project package that appears just below is the results of that year-long learning process.

Subscription program summary

The subscription package covers all of the following for the full year of 2008: (For details click title links.)

1. Report: World City Bike Implementation Strategies: 2008
2. Report updates: Regular updates of report over 2008.
3. Support hotline: Up to four hours of hot line consultancy support.
4. Debriefs/News/Leads: Private communications of exception information: heads-ups on projects, events, techniques, suggestions.
5. Invitational World City Bike Forum: Access to this resource
6. WBC Working Papers: Access to this resource
7. Plan/Project Benchmarking: Subscriber rates for confidential periodic team audits of your plans and on-going projects.
8. Accelerated Learning Sessions: Invitations to participate in two planned expert workshops over 2008.

1. Report organization and presentation

Immediate delivery of the latest edition of the print report: a key analytic document based on direct experience with and deep knowledge of the city bike field and its broader strategic planning context, as practiced at the leading edge in cities around the world. This carefully researched report (an on-going project, see below for updating services) is prepared to inform considering cities, public authorities and agencies as to how best to go about scouting, planning and eventually implementing and fine-tuning a city bike (or public bicycle) system of their own. It opens with an in-depth overview of the broader strategic process that the city of Paris has engaged as a leading example, and from there moves on to provide in-depth background on and analysis of the history and fast-breaking process of city bike developments worldwide (of which there are many with almost as many variations).

Against this firm background the report then goes on to consider how such a transformative project can be made to fit into the larger new mobility and sustainability framework of your city (see the New Mobility Agenda at http://www.invent.newmobility.org). Closing annexes identify the principal suppliers and eventual implementation partners, offering updates and contact details on each, while listing a number of individual consultants and groups with strong credentials whom you may wish to consult.

Subscription provides a solid toolkit of background, strategic counsel and support services for mayors, city leaders and agencies, suppliers and consultants interested in looking more closely into these innovative systems for their cities. It has been prepared as a first step in a broader phased process of laying the base for a strong city bike project in your city.

* Click here for report contents > > > .

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2. Report updating

This report treats a highly dynamic on-going movement, in part because the newness and vitality of these projects means that additional information is coming in and being analyzed regularly over this first full year of operations. At the same time we are in regular contact with city bike projects, suppliers and concerned public agencies around the world, all of which further deepens our information base and eventually the report itself.

Thus, additional information and analytic materials are regularly incorporated into the updated editions of the report, and full updates will be made available at least twice during the year following your subscription.

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3. Hotline - Support/Advisory Services

Once you have the latest edition of the report in your hands you may have questions, wish to talk over a project or idea, or simply like to have some feedback or discuss on something you are working with. With this in view the project, subscribers have free access to up to four hours of hotline support as part of their subscription. These consultations can be organized via email, telephone, videoconferencing, or personal visits. Subscribing cities and agencies receive a favored rate for additional time and support as required to advance your City Bike project or program over 2008.

* Click here to get in touch > > .

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4. News, Ideas, Debriefs

Subscribers will over 2008 receive occasional private communications of exception information: heads-ups on new or evolving projects, opportunities, possible problems, events and techniques; and suggestions. (To give you an example of how this works: click here to see our internal report to them on the thorny issues of required wearing of helmets for city bike projects. )

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5. World City Bike Forum

This moderated private forum offers to invited participants a free, public, flexible discussion space discussion space and shared library - and is given over specifically to exchanges of information, sources and ideas for people and groups interested in city or public bikes. Coverage and participation is world wide. It is intended to be a useful supplement to the public information you will find at the World City Bike Implementation Strategies site.

The Forum is available on invitation only. If you are interested to join, we ask that you first address a short email to secretariat@newmoblity.org identifying yourself with address, email, phone, and Skype if you have it, along with a few words explaining your interest in city bikes and what you would like to see in and get out of the Forum. We will get back to you immediately on this.

Click here to go to the Forum> > > .

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6. WCB WorkingPapers

The working papers in this series are being prepared to provide support on practical issues and specific implementation challenges for our subscribing cities and groups, They present in concise format some of the significant findings and recommendations that are coming out over the course of the work of our task force team, both through our on-going focused research in specific technical and policy matters, and as a result of active advisory and support work in specific city projects and associated programs.

Click here to go to list of available papers > > > .
Click here for a sample working paper > > >

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7. Benchmarking your plan or project

There are at least four critical periods in the process of developing plans and support for a new project in which informed and discrete expert council can be helpful, both to keep the project on focus and to ensure that your preparatory work is going to take full benefit of hard-acquired experience in actual projects. The WCB benchmarking audits can be useful to you at this times.

Click here for more on Benchmarking > > > .

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8. Accelerated Learning Sessions

Over 2008/9 the project team and associates are organizing at least two Accelerate Learning workshops: tightly focused invitational events bringing together leading experts and groups with hands-on experience in city bike implementations, together with invited representatives of city government, local leaders, and other concerned groups who are in a position to make these policies and measures happen in their cities and/or to support them so that they happen in a way that will benefit the entire community.

If your city, agency or group might be interested in sponsoring such a workshop you are invited to get in touch.

Click here for more on Accelerated Learning > > > .

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