We Need More of This: Oonee Expanding Public Bike Storage & Charging
Oonee offers secure storage and charging in a variety of attractive solutions.
Oonee makes a variety of bike storage and e-bike charging solutions. They range from as small as a five e-bike charging station called a Dock all the way up to Dutch-style storage rooms (Hub) that can store 100+ bikes and e-bikes and provide charging as well.
While the Hub is a solution that is implemented in a building, the midsize designs—Pod, Mini and Lite—are small enough that they can be constructed outside transit stations. They feature controlled entry and exit, ADA ramps, assisted-lift bike racks, and a rooftop planter with irrigation. The Pod and Mini are big enough to step inside, while the Lite is a multi-bike locker.
Oonee has already provided solutions in New York and New Jersey and is about to begin a pilot program with the city of Minneapolis. Minneapolis plans to set up 15-20 locations over the course of the three-year program.
Oonee intends to cover the expense of running the locations by offering advertising, but may charge a nominal fee to users through their app.
The Oonee Power project will provide a kiosk that will allow for swapping batteries in their system or for users to charge their personal batteries.
In New York, Oonee has converted two former newsstands into delivery worker rest stops. They provide an area to rest, charging and bike repair/maintenance.
It’s out-of-the-box solutions like these that society needs as we transition to fewer trips made by car. Just as today’s gas stations devote their space to what drivers need when they are out and about rather than repairs, we need infrastructure for e-bikes that reflect what riders need when they get around by e-bike. It’s nice to see a company take an imaginative approach to such an obvious need
.