Bike Dispensers in the Netherlands

I can’t WAIT for these to come to the US!

A Bikedispenser is a fully automated bicycle rental station. This means that at locations where you would like to have or use a bike such as a train station, transportation hub or parking garage, you can rent a bike very easily, quickly and simply. For architects or urban planners, the Bikedispenser meets the need to store a substantial number of bikes (50-100) in a compact and safe environment. The technology of the Bikedispenser also enables underground installation upon specification.

Below: Bike being dispensed from storage. Use your Bike Dispenser card (kind of like a debit card) to activate the rental process. As the bike comes out, press OK and enjoy the ride. A rental is about $4 for every 20 hour period, so for the choice rider who only needs a bike for an hour, that’s only 20 cents!

Below: The inside mechanisms that makes the Bike Dispenser work.

Below: Turning your bike back in is easy, too. Just put your bike on the track, press OK and watch the machine bring the bike back inside the storage area. The bikes also have RFID (radio frequency ID), so the operators can track down their bikes and bring them home.

Would something like this work in the US? Maybe in New York City (my second home) or dense downtowns, but most places don’t have the density to support bicycling as an alternative to driving.

Colleges might find this technology useful for their bike rental programs.