APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
Beginning in early 2010, Bigfishbikes LLC, along with partners and select municipalities in the greater Los Angeles area, worked to secure both local and federal government grants, along with in-kind matching donations, for seed money to bring 'fold and go' and 'mobility hub' programs to a good working start. As of September 2010, the players were in place and timelines were being set to come online with initial stages of these programs by January of 2011.
One of the pilot programs is currently being marketed to employers. Employers will secure between 5 and 20 bikes to pilot a key aspect of this concept, placing folding bikes in the hands of employees. This strategy will afford employees easy access from home to train, or bus to work, as they negotiate the critical middle and major component that makes up their commute. Our intent is to have them leave their car at home and alter consumer behavior to this set of transportation modes, which is better for their health and pocketbook, as well as the environment.
Recognizing that no single solution will save the day for transportation in a well-established urbanized area, the City of Los Angeles has partnered with a group of private sector companies inclusive of Bigfishbikes LLC and other municipal governments to create integrated mobility hubs within the city. A mobility hub connects a set of services, products, and technologies creating door-to-door mobility and addressing the 'first and last mile' challenge and the connectivity gap throughout one's trip. For the users, a mobility hub connects a whole range of transportation services including buses, trains, streetcars, clean fuel taxis, car share, bike share, bike parking with destinations such as employment centers, day care, retail centers, entertainment venues, and other destinations. For humanity, the hub network integrates clean transportation within the system to foster urban livability, creating social equity and providing flexible carbon-free (or carbon-reducing) transportation options to the general public. This mobility hub demonstration project spurs public-private innovation and offers an opportunity to blue print a new 'open source' transportation infrastructure creating green jobs and supporting green initiatives. In addition:
Bigfishbikes LLC will deliver state of the art, European designed folding bikes at moderate cost to employers and be a critical marketing partner with hub mobility centers.
This program also seeks to provide financial sustainability by leveraging existing metro transit and transportation systems that are currently under-utilized, with an average passenger/seat mile of 40%, leaving an unused capacity of 60% during most times of the day.
We are seeking medium to large firms to accept low-risk, low-cost pilots in various cities throughout the U.S. and the globe, to offer said programs to their employees. All firms that join the pilots will be considered partners of this CGI commitment and are able to use this information to share with employees, customers and shareholders alike.
We seek to change policy nationwide, to drive new mass transit customer acquisition programs and increase ridership and optimize fleet capacity.
We aim to drive unrealized ROI revenue streams, from existing fixed assets using 'marketing on the margin' methods, to realize new revenues in years two-five. Pilots will prove profitability with virtually little to no business risk. We intend to leverage existing taxpayer monies to combine new alternative/complimentary transport methods.
IMPLEMENTATION, TIMELINE, AND DELIVERABLES
The Bigfishbike Business-to-Business Folding Bike Program's initial pilot started June of 2010 and has been in operation stage as of August 2010. Testing of messaging and objections to implement are being aired, solicited and incorporated into this ongoing pilot. The program is going through constant changes to meet the demands of employers and employees. It has the support of Metro and many TMAs (Transportation Managers) and cities in the greater LA area. The launch of this pilot will run well into 2011-13, with even greater exposure and footing. Deliverables are to listen and learn entry points into businesses, placing well over 1,000 plus bikes in 2011 from which to measure and learn of ridership usage and attrition curves of usage to stay with the program. Any business anywhere can currently implement this pilot.
The Transportation hub pilot is huge and almost all agree, its time has come. Starting in 2011, we intend to build 15 transportation hubs that will include all aspects of alternative transportation. Some include ride, car, van, bike share pooling and bike storage are all part of the building blocks of this pilot. Via the use of a state of the art centralized web portal developed in early 2011, it will be the start of a centralized nucleus from which to optimize personal transportation needs. The building of social networking programs with Facebook, Twitter and the use of blogs, celebrity and political endorsements are part of the plan. These communication tactics will grow the programs exponentially in numbers; drive customer acquisition and retention to be sustainable as a working model. Both pilots will prove we will not need the use of additional governmental funds.