Below is the winners and a great video of the Fremantle Tweed Run organised by Dismantle, they had over two hundred people dressed in tweed and riding on the day. Well done to everyone who was involved and lachy and bridie from dismantle for taking the initiative and organising such a great event. Lets see more like it!
‘fremantle loves bikes’ from Linda Blagg on Vimeo.
Below is the our full entry into the TACSI challenge. We are looking at entering the West Australian Innovator of the Year award however entries are not due for a few months so feedback and suggestions would be welcome on how we can best enter that competition. Closer to the time I will post more information on the Innovator award and get input before the entry is placed but for now here is our TACSI entry.
Google Doc - https://docs.google.com/a/thinkbigcommunication.com/Doc docid=0ASSw2BT_Eos3ZGc1bjJud25fNDVjdjU4Ymg5aA&hl=en
In 100 words or less – what is your idea?
To Design, Build and Maintain an inner city bike network (bike sharing) that is automated and self sustaining. The business structure behind this network will be a Social Business (Social Enterprise) where all profits will work towards (a) improving the bike system (b)solving social problems in and around Fremantle (first is Homelessness).
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address? Who are your beneficiaries? (300 words)
This system will address a number of social issues in and around Fremantle -
Environment) Reduce the number of cars entering the Fremantle CBD and therefore emissions.
Space) Reduce the space / footprint used by cars.
Health) Improve the health of the community through encouraging people to cycle.
Homelessness) all revenue will be directed towards helping the homeless to no longer be homeless.
Social Issues) once Homelessness has been deemed no longer a social issue the revenue and resources can be directed at any other social issue in WA.
What inspired you to come up with your idea in the first place? (300 words)
I have been travelling and working abroad for the past 4 years and have seen the benefits a bike sharing program can have for a city. I have also been following Social Businesses for some time and looking for ways I can apply the Social Business model to create a self sustaining business that will have long lasting improvements for the community. Pairing the two concepts and supporting an advertising model to generate additional revenue will take pressure off the Local Government in relation to infrastructure planning (accommodating more cars) as well as caring for the homeless) which will be good for everyone. Also once this is in place in Fremantle it can be applied to any number of cities in Australia (and the Asia Pacific region).
What’s really new about your idea? Has anyone else done something like this (are there any models to base your project on)? (300 words)
Bike Sharing is not new, there are many cities around the world who are using bike sharing programs successfully. What is new is the Social Business aspect of the bike sharing program. In most cases it is a government supported / subsidised business that drains public resources. Many bike share programs also use an advertising model where a major advertising company runs the network. The problem with this is that once the advertising rights are secured money is diverted from the bike system maintenance and support resulting in a poor user experience. Using the Social Business model it is possible to create a profit driven business (through sponsorship, advertising and monthly / annual fees) which then reinvests all revenue generated back into solving Cyclefreos social objectives. The community will both own and run Cyclefreo, this will address the issue of vandalism through a community watch program.
What stage of development is your idea in (idea? piloted project?)? Explain more (100 words)
At present we are working with a number of organisations to clearly define the business structure and completing a formal business plan. We are also in the process of completing the Cyclefreo website which will be used to engage the community, government and business in the selection of bike station locations, cycle routes, pricing models and all other aspects of the business. Involving the community and crowdsourcing ideas will ultimately result in a better system and business for everyone.
Who are your stakeholders? Do you already have any contact with them? (100 words)
Key stake holders are the City of Fremantle who would be managing cycle route development. The Mayor of Fremantle has provided his support for the program and is actively working with Cyclefreo. The State Government organisaiton Bikewest will also need to be involved for infrastructure funding however we are going to pitch the business to them once the website is up and running. I am also in contact with Social Business Australia, the Social Traders and the Mohammed Yunus Centre for direction and planning in relation to the Social Business aspects.
What risks can you foresee for your project? (300 words)
There are a number of potential risks however I believe they can all be overcome. Some of the risks include -
- Lack of public road works development to accommodate bikes
- Helmet laws prohibiting use
- Lack of understanding of Social Business
- Government Support Missing
- Community Support Missing
- Business Support Missing
How will you measure/evaluate your impact? (300 words)
The primary measures of success will be:
- Use of the bike network by the community and tourists
- Reduction of cars in the CBD
- Advertising and sponsorship revenue generation
- Achieving Social Objectives e.g. Reduced homelessness in Fremantle and surrounding suburbs.
Each of these can be measured using direct measurement methods or proxies. An independent body who specialises in social impact measurement would be consulted to analyse the impact so that the system can be replicated around Australia and the rest of the world.
What are your estimated project costs (outline your total budget and key budget lines)? (100 words)
Detailed project costs at this stage are difficult to assign. A series of funding would be required at specific stages in the development, execution and measurement of the implementation. Due to the community involvement that is expected an exact number of bike stations and bikes is not known. A test could be run before full implementation (possible using the University in Fremantle as a test) and then roll out additional stations as road infrastructure is upgraded. System costs range from $1,500 – $5000 per bike. More detailed analysis of commuter patterns in Fremantle will need to be complied however it has to be remembered that there will be three forms of income – Subscription, Advertising and Sponsorship.
Cyclefreo has entered the TACSI – BOLD IDEAS, BETTER LIVES CHALLENGE which aims to:
With the Bold Ideas, Better Lives Challenge we want to give you the chance to turn your big idea into big impact. So we’re putting our money (and our networks) where our mouth is and offering you the opportunity to make your idea a reality.
We’re offering a range of capacity building partnerships and we’ve got up to $1 million to invest in your ideas – we’re committed to supporting up to 10 projects that show the best and brightest ideas in social innovation across Australia.
We will upload our full entry to this blog shortly for comment but in the future we will be posting a range of videos to YouTube in relation to the development of this project.
Our YouTube Channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/cyclefreo
Please let us know what you think of the multi-media presentation as we plan on entering a number of challenges with this brave plan and the better our entry the better the chance of success.
