Quote:
Originally Posted by the urban politician
If you want to put a damper on pretty much anything that involves 'urbanism' going on in Chicago, go ahead and compare to NYC's stats. But I for one really don't see the point in doing that.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ardecila
Yeah, Chicago isn't Manhattan. I'd like to see how Divvy's performance compares to Bixi in Montreal or Toronto. Those are probably the closest comparisons to Chicago, in terms of urban form, wealth levels, and bike share ambitions.
Capital Bikeshare might also be a good comparison.
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What I was taking exception to were the terms "epic hit" and "beyond all expectations," neither of which I think are accurate.
My comparison with New York wasn't to say we SHOULD be comparable to New York, but rather to say that in order to qualify as "epic" or "beyond all expectations" we'd at least have to be more in that direction.
As I said, Divvy is a success. I'm sure it will continue to grow in popularity. I was a member from Day 1 (member key number 195), am an ardent fan, have exchanged emails with the head of marketing there, and even found the "Divvy Red" and won a promotional prize for a photo of me on it. But the level of usage success it has attained is, in my opinion, about what I expected. The level of members is actually below what I would have expected, and I think that has to do with how well it's been pitched to locals, and a little confusion over pricing. Eventually that should get sorted out, but overblowing it's level of success doesn't help anything, which is why I objected to it.