But that is the point, I want to strategically place the initial bike stations in and around the most populated mainly student areas such as Hyde Park and Headingley around the city centre, then having them leading in further towards the centre - focusing on stations near the universities and then also the most popular locations in the very centre such as down the Headrow and on the other side of town by the Corn Exchange and train station to make bike points fairly regular and easy to bounce between dependant on where you're going. So the scheme would be very appropriate mainly for students, but still very available to locals and tourists just wanting to get around the city (to work or to explore) - Can look into other features of the app to better provide for their needs.
I did some research using Google Maps into the exact distances to get from one side of Leeds to the other. If the furthest bike station is placed in Headingley, and the furthest away to that is at the opposite side of the city at the corn exchange it can take as quick as 12-15 minutes to cycle. But I need to take into account the terrain as most of that journey there is downhill, so it will take longer on the way back, adding a bit of price increase for them - but this is something that users will have to take into account themselves and after-all the scheme aims to promote a healthy active lifestyle anyway so it does make it more of a workout! (still shouldn't breach the 20 minute mark for payment/time slots)
In comparison, for £1 student prices on the bus you can only get from this point in Headingley to as far as the Parkinson Building (by uni); to get into the city centre to get off at Woodhouse Ln/Albion Street leading onto the Headrow its £2, and then you’d have to walk across the pedestrianised shopping streets like Brigate to get to the other side of town by the Corn Exchange - OR get a different bus which goes around the centre to stop at the bus station opposite the West Yorkshire Playhouse. This feels like quite an over-complicated route to plan and needs an easier method, which could potentially work out cheaper for the target audience.
As the city centre is quite small and will be easy to nip around on on a bike, most trips will only take up to 10-15 mins max - so i want the scheme to allow you to save a lot of time if you were to walk; save a lot money on taxis around the complicated ring road (can pay up to £10 from Hyde Park to the city centre on a busy day); and offer an easier, less complicated and healthier method of transport than buses which will compete with their prices.
As suggested from a crit the price plan for the bike scheme will integrate within short time slots. Roughly 5-10min intervals with small increases in price, like a taxi as you use more time - as no student wants to pay for a large 20-30minute time slot like you would in London (much larger city) to only use 10 minutes of it and feel like you’ve wasted your money.
So to get around city centre you would only be looking at somewhere between £0.70 - £3 for the shorter journeys (up to 30mins)
To go somewhere like cardigan fields shopping park (popular student spot - where aldi is) would need the bike to get there and back (as no drop-off close enough whilst shopping - could take an hour to 2 hours) - in a taxi that would be at least £4 each way.
Trip lasting up to 5 minutes - £0.70
Trip lasting up to 10 minutes - £1
Trip lasting up to 15 minutes - £1.50
Trip lasting up to 20 minutes - £2
Trip lasting up to 30 minutes - £3
Trip lasting 1 hour - £4
Trip lasting 2 hours - £5
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