BIXI is a popular bike sharing company who operates in London, Boston. If they can start operations in Namma Bengaluru, it will be good.

Will it come along with a bottle of 'Gatorade'? Isn't that some energy drink? I have never tried it so far, though :))).

 Bicycle as a last mile has been proposed in commuter rail stations as well. In fact the proposal is to have carriages in the rolling stock which can carry cycles. But a renting scheme in areas like the CBD will probably be more effective than at work places where the cycle tends to get parked more than rode on. Would you take a cycle if available on rent within the CBD? Do cast you vote on the post above.

I think this is a good suggestion. It provides one more option that is also environment-friendly for those that opt to use metro, but fear the long walk after getting off.

 Planning a Praja or other branded Bicycle sharing program at CBD metro stations (2 nos for now) & BMTC stands (btwn 3-5 nos) on a funded non-profit mode. Space & permissions need to be discussed with relevant authorities. Anybody willing to fund this please reach out to me. It will be a 2 year pilot in CBD (MG road & surrounding)

Any bike enthusiast community who can manage this on an ongoing basis please reach out to me.

More details on the model is here

Number: 40 bikes at each location total 200 at below locations
 

1. Shivajinagar BMTC bus stand - Within bus stand premises
2. MG road Namma metro station - Under viaduct or on-street car park across road
3. Trinity circle metro station - Under viaduct or on-street car park across road
4. Mayo hall BMTC bus stand - On far end sidewalk of Bus bay across Mayo hall on residency road
5. Bangalore club BMTC bus stand - Current car park on Bangalore club side under the overhead walkway

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Will need to mark bike lanes connecting all these places and going thru key destinations. Meanwhile continue to vote above

How about one near Bal Bhavan?

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 How about one near Bal Bhavan?

One can take the cycle anywhere, indeed to bal bhavan as well, so maybe the track can be extended to the queens road end of MG road. Once the underground section of metro comes up bike hangars can be provided in vidhan soudha station as well in which case the cycle tracks will run around & thru cubbon park. 

But bike hangars/depots are places where you will drop off and make a change to another mode of transport (or school/college/workplace) so for a pilot project right now these 5 seem to cover the shopping/school district.

Schools/colleges served

• Bishop Cottons boys high school
• Bishop cottons girls school & college

The below fall on the route but will need a hangar at ashirvadam circle to be made useful

• St Josephs evening/PU college
• St Josephs college of commerce 
• St Josephs boys high school
• Good Shepard School

Missing out - Baldwin girls which will need a hangar on rhenius street

St Josephs Indian high school and the stadium can be covered later.

Parking on residency road will need to be shifted to the right side and the left be reserved for cycle lane close to the kerb (all the school entrances are on that side & bus lane after it. The cycle lanes must go behind the bus stand for it to be safe. The cycle lanes should be physically separated by low rise dividers. The cycle lane should allow for both side flow of traffic so it will be 4 mtrs wide, 3 mtrs at bare minimum. Some streets like commercial street & brigade rd where this luxury doesnt exist may have to make do with mixed traffic with clear warning signboards indicating priority for cyclists.

Thinking aloud, so feel free to chip in.

Do the designs of the metro stations have a provision for Bicycle parking? If not, we should petition BMRCL to include that. It is not too late as construction for most of the stations (other than Reach-1) is still to be done.

It would have been great if the TTMCs also had bicycle parking areas.

Thane city has a bike sharing program: http://fremo.in/Default.aspx .

Do the designs of the metro stations have a provision for Bicycle parking?

No, but its not hard to put up racks & shelter along the parking lot on MG road or under the viaduct itself.

Physically separated 2 way cycle lane, the type we should go for in the CBD

IDS,

The shown lanes are Bi-directional or UNi?

 The shown lanes are Bi-directional or UNi

Its bidirectional, the guy is riding on the wrong side :)

1.5m bicycle lanes are easily possible on MG road & many other wide roads within CBD (Richmond /Residency /Cubbon rd etc), just as bicycle stands are possible on street sides or on insets along the wider sidewalks, if any.

It is not normally appropriate nor safe to have bicycle stands or parking below median flyover or viaduct ramps due to access problems. On MG rd, the metro viaduct is positioned on one side between Anil Kumble circle & Brigade rd junction. Thus, it may be possible here, but elsewhere, provisions such as pedestrain crossings & speed humps will be necessary if they are positioned below median ramps.

Ride A Cycle Foundation (RACF) is trying to get bike paths around Basavangudi. Good move. We need more areas take up bicycling. A good riderbase is important to demand facilities. Do start a cycling initiative in your area.

Meanwhile I propose an additional hangar at Ashirvadam circle to serve a bunch of schools around there. 

Since this seems to be building up into a project/proposal, I suggest you start a new blog to summarize from comments thus far, and we will take it forward there. Title of this post is misleading (a question), I myself missed reading the comments till now.

So far it looks like a good majority 92% would take a cycle if it was made available. Do continue to vote, will start a new project thread where your inputs will be collected and put forward to the uthorities to make a CBD bike sharing program. I have some physical survey forms and need volunteers to collect some data. Will put up the form on the new thread.

...the infrastructure improves. Especially the cycle lanes.

I can rent/buy industrial strength face masks along with the bikes. Also, as Ravi says, much as I would love to bike around town, the roads have to become more biker-friendly.

 I would take bike (bicycle) only if, I travel alone. For family needs, I have to think of PT alternative. 

 I Think getting people to stick to their respective lanes might help, be it any vehicle. And ofcourse a separate lane for bicyle is really necassary. If you consider the Hosur Rd, from silk board onwards, even using the service road might get you under some wheels during peak hours. No matter how much they widen the roads,it never seems enough. And I also feel that  Road manners will help reducing atleast half of the confusion that exists. There must be a set of protocols that everyone should follow.  

Yes, if bicycles made available at namma metro stations are in good working condition and the hiring system is regulated through vending machines. If the system is not automated we may end up having number of bicycle shops around metro. Parking spaces available around most of the metro stations are very limited and the same has to be utilised judiciously.