With the purpose to encourage people to shift from cars to more eco-friendly railways and cycle, rental cycle systems based at railway stations have been introduced. Traditionally, many railways commuters have been using cycles between their home and railway stations. Often bicycle parking lots are constructed at railway stations.
1. Edogawa City in Tokyo, started the pilot program of rental cycle, where registered members can use cycles at 5 ports nearby railway stations at the rate of 1,500 yen per month or 100 yen per day. Almost 10,000 people registered for the program (525 pay by the month, 9,394 pay per day) and used 25,669 times per month. Cycle turnover at the program is 1.40 times per day and cycle riders increased without construction of new parking facilities.
2. A questionnaire survey carried out by Policy Research Institute MLIT shows community rental cycle system based at railway stations encourage railway use by improving transport to and from the stations. And because of frequent turnover of rental cycle, establishing rental bicycle ports need less space than parking lots for bicycle. It will be an advantage for local authorities or railway companies bothered by many bicycle parked on the road around stations.
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