Oklahoma Bikeshare Station
Why Cities Buy Into a Live GPS System for Security and Operations
Wow! What a trip! It is always great to get out of the office and in the field to spend time with customers. What I learned is we have wonderful customers who love our product. They know the benefits better than we do!
First, we stopped at OKC, and they are replacing an old bike share system with a new fleet of 50 bikes. The OKC bike share is housed in an amazing historical building built in 1930. I believe that the Director of Operations, Josh, is one of the smartest people around. He’s a Bio Chemistry major out of college, and his passion for cycling led him to manage OKC’s bike share system. They are scheduled to launch in mid-August.
Boomerang tracking app shows bike route and current location
McAllen-Bikeshare
Second, we stopped at McAllen Texas: a border town with 80 bikes. The Operator’s name is Robert, probably the most conscientious and attentive person to manage a fleet. McAllen gets a lot of late evening and night riding when the temperature cools. Robert said to me, he can’t go to sleep until all of the bikes are returned, and the Boomerang Fleet system allows him to see all of the bikes in real time. If he did not have the system, he would have to wait until 5:00 a.m. to verify the fleet was intact. Robert has not lost a single bike!
El Paso Bikeshare
Third, we stopped in another border city, El Paso Texas, which currently has about 80 bikes, growing to 160 bikes. El Paso Bike’s share is part of the redevelopment of downtown EL Paso. The Director of Operations, Cesar, has the luxury of a great staff and the best shop music thanks to his son, Diaz.
Of the Boomerang Fleet management system, Cesar was the most complimentary, and his choice of words were perfect: “The Boomerang GPS Device gives the bike a “ presence.” The beep and the red flashing light give the bike a presence and communicates to the riding community that the bikes are being monitored and can not be stolen.
In addition to being a deterrent to bike theft, Cesar has many more uses of the system. The traffic pattern history will help locate their new stations. On a daily basis they have about a dozen of bikes per month “missing.” The Boomerang system is used to locate, find and get them returned.
The fourth and last stop was Columbus Indiana. What a beautiful city! And the bike shop was just as great as the city. The bike shop was completely organized and ready to get to work on a one-time software upgrade. Matt, who maintains the fleet, is a professional bike racer, and he treated our work like a cycle-cross race. Although Matt had the hard job and I had the easy job, he was twice as fast. Luckily on day two and hour 10, I stepped out for a quick dinner before I bonked. (80 bikes in a day and half)!
In conclusion, I would like to thank all of the cities with their hospitality and generosity. We’re so happy with the feedback and glad that everyone liked our solution! We are very pleased and excited about these new relationships!
Sincerely,
Kevin Fahrner
President
Wi-MM / Boomerang Bike
