>> why not set up an
>> "options market" for the bicycles... ultimately the price of bicycles at
>> high-demand (source) nodes would be higher than ones at low demand
>> (sink) nodes.
> Depends whether the goal is to design a system that will provide equal
> access to moderate cost transportation or if it is to get the most from the
> resource.
I'm proposing a system that optimizes (or at least satisfices)
"utility". The system as designed seems to have included a constraint
of a "flat rate" buy-in to the system. This flat rate has *some*
utility to the users (they can predict the cost) and to the system (ease
of administration).
In my example, the subscribers could continue to get the service at a
given flat rate, but the "system" would then price the value of those
who move bicycles according to supply and demand. There is not a
stated constraint of providing "jobs" to the movers at a fixed rate? My
example did transfer the disparity in value of bikes at sinks/sources to
the users.
I'm not sure what else might incentivize users of the system other than
money. Some kind of quota/rationing of "scarce" resources might be in
order, but generally that only works to shift services around inside the
constraints of the system.
LLNL has (used to have?) a collection of bicycles to be ridden by anyone
at anytime across the lab (inside security gates). If a bicycle proves
to be under-maintained, the standard is to leave the bicycle upside down
(virtually anywhere) to be picked up and repaired by a maintenance crw.
I don't know how well it actually works... the few times I used the
bikes, they were incredibly clunky and under-maintained (even by my own
weak standards) but I think there are waves of maintenance/upgrade in
the system.
>> Could this system be implemented ON TOP of the current system (e.g.
>> without permission of the city authorities)?
> Could the city's attempts to plan for the needed capacity be destabilized
> by these sorts of agents?
Surely... especially if the city didn't take this into account. There
might *already* be examples of people "scalping" bikes in high demand
areas. Even if the system requires you to check in a bike before you
check another out, imagine circling the bike parking area and offer to
park it for someone for a price. I'm sure they will hire additional
transit cops to prevent this. Wouldn't it be better to build it into
the ecology?
- Steve
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