The bikesharing thread

[M II A II R II K]

Bike Share Can Save Our Cities—If We Let It

https://www.outsideonline.com/231850...s-if-we-let-it

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- Cycling evangelists have long pondered what it will take to make cycling go mainstream, and while the 21st century has provided plenty of trends so far (fixies, gravel, ever-changing mountain bike wheelsizes), it turns out bike share is the big one. Bike share is doing for bicycles-as-transport what Starbucks did for the macchiato: transforming it from something exotic and foreign-sounding into something commonplace. And while neither a Starbucks macchiato nor a hefty bike-share bike are likely to excite the connoisseur, both are eminently accessible, which is ultimately the point. Even more remarkable, bike share has defied much of our culture’s anti-bike bile. Five years ago, Citi Bike launched in New York City amid a flurry of editorials about how all the bikes would get stolen and the streets would run red with the blood of hapless tourists. Today the system sees over 15 million trips a year and has proven remarkably safe, and the only real complaining you hear these days is that it’s not available in more neighborhoods.

- In that time, bike share has also diversified, with dockless systems becoming increasingly popular. Dockless systems are cheaper for both cities and riders. They eliminate the twin frustrations of empty and full docks. They also require less political currency to deploy since they don’t need dedicated space and equipment. Docklessness is a boon or a drawback depending on how you look at it: the system is flexible on one hand, noncommittal on the other. But with the rise of dockless bike share has come a new backlash, and critics are sounding plaintive warnings about the chaos caused by large quantities of untethered bicycles. You’ve seen the vast bicycle graveyards of China. You’ve read of the “litter bikes” that are hanging from trees and lying across train tracks, cluttering cities all across America and crippling their infrastructure. Most recently, you’ve heard of the dreaded Scooters of San Francisco, which you’d think was most devastating force to hit the City by the Bay since the earthquake of 1906.

- Yeah, that’s right: Scooters. Dockless bike share technology is so scary that it doesn’t even require bikes to destroy your town anymore. To be sure, I prefer the idea of a docking bike-share system. I’m a great fan of Citi Bike. Stations filled with bikes standing like soldiers at attention and flanked by large maps inspire confidence, as does the solid “ker-thunk!” you hear when you dock a bike at one. Dockless bikes hang out on streetcorners and in front of convenience stores, loitering shiftlessly on their kickstands, either alone or else conspiring in small clusters like delinquent teenagers. I also can’t help being suspicious of cities’ motives for choosing dockless systems. It seems noncommittal. Docking bike share systems are like investing in cat towers, while dockless is more like leaving food out for the neighborhood strays.

- Still, I live in a dense city, so I’m biased. It’s easy to see how a more sprawling and less centralized area would benefit from dockless bikes over a network of fixed stations. It’s even easier to scoff at this notion that we’re on the cusp of some sort of dockless dystopia. After all, as others have pointed out, dockless bike graveyards are infinitesimal compared to their motor-vehicle counterparts. For that matter, you could probably bury all those dead bikes (plus a decent portion of the cars) in non-recyclable Keurig K-Cups alone. And when was the last time you heard of a bicycle tire fire? As for the concept of “litter bikes,” any cyclist recognizes that phrase for the oxymoron it is. There’s no such thing. Even the lowliest department store frame will eventually be incorporated into a tall bike.

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[jmecklenborg]

I live in a city where the bikeshare zone is split between the flat downtown and the hilly university area. The bikes get some use downtown but are almost never seen near the university. The bikes are too heavy to pedal up the hills, even for experienced bicyclists.

I have heard that the electric scooters struggle with hills, but we don't have them yet and I assume that that can be improved over time.

[jtown,man]

I just wanted to share my day:


I woke up and got out before the sun peaked out. I took a Pace bikeshare bike from my downtown apartment, followed the water, and then parked the bike at the Norfolk Amtrak station. I then boarded a nice train and had a really pleasant trip to DC. The train ride lasted about as long as a traffic-laden trip from Norfolk to DC usually lasts, but with me sleeping and viewing the sights...instead of dealing with stop and go traffic and making sure 18 wheelers don't throw rocks in my windshield. I then arrived in DC and took a bikeshare , with my backpack on and my duffle bag in the basket, to my dads apartment. Went and picked up food today, all on bikeshare.

What a pleasant day. Minus the heat, *this* is how I want to live my life, transportation-wise. Bikeshare has helped me many times in Norfolk, and I think their utility is just not being seen.

[202_Cyclist]

Theft and destruction of dockless bikes a growing problem

By Luz Lazo
July 1, 2018
Washington Post

“Less than a year after dockless bike-share systems arrived in the District, the colorful bikes are being stolen and vandalized in growing numbers, with one city official saying that some companies have lost up to 50 percent of their fleets.

The companies acknowledge that some users have figured out how to cheat their systems, such as using prepaid credit cards or taking bicycles that haven’t been properly locked by paying riders, but they contend the losses are not as high as 50 percent. Some of the companies say they are taking extra measures to improve their locking and GPS tracking systems.

“They have lost a lot of their bikes,” Kimberly Lucas, the city’s bike program specialist told a group of regional transportation officials at a dockless-bike-share workshop sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in May. She said companies have told city transportation officials that they have lost up to half of their fleets, which is significant because each company is allowed to operate a maximum of 400 bikes in the city...”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.ecb5c0f26b9d

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

I just wanted to share my day:


I woke up and got out before the sun peaked out. I took a Pace bikeshare bike from my downtown apartment, followed the water, and then parked the bike at the Norfolk Amtrak station. I then boarded a nice train and had a really pleasant trip to DC. The train ride lasted about as long as a traffic-laden trip from Norfolk to DC usually lasts, but with me sleeping and viewing the sights...instead of dealing with stop and go traffic and making sure 18 wheelers don't throw rocks in my windshield. I then arrived in DC and took a bikeshare , with my backpack on and my duffle bag in the basket, to my dads apartment. Went and picked up food today, all on bikeshare.

What a pleasant day. Minus the heat, *this* is how I want to live my life, transportation-wise. Bikeshare has helped me many times in Norfolk, and I think their utility is just not being seen.

That sounds like a fantastic day. We visited Baltimore this past Saturday. We took the train up and then a lot of Uber rides because it was very hot and we had a large group but bikeshare makes these day or weekend trips a lot more accessible. Also, you can have a nice meal or extra beer money with the fares you can avoid for a taxi or Uber.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

Theft and destruction of dockless bikes a growing problem

By Luz Lazo
July 1, 2018
Washington Post

“Less than a year after dockless bike-share systems arrived in the District, the colorful bikes are being stolen and vandalized in growing numbers, with one city official saying that some companies have lost up to 50 percent of their fleets.

The companies acknowledge that some users have figured out how to cheat their systems, such as using prepaid credit cards or taking bicycles that haven’t been properly locked by paying riders, but they contend the losses are not as high as 50 percent. Some of the companies say they are taking extra measures to improve their locking and GPS tracking systems.

“They have lost a lot of their bikes,” Kimberly Lucas, the city’s bike program specialist told a group of regional transportation officials at a dockless-bike-share workshop sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in May. She said companies have told city transportation officials that they have lost up to half of their fleets, which is significant because each company is allowed to operate a maximum of 400 bikes in the city...”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.ecb5c0f26b9d

I wondered about this. I was in San Diego a few weeks ago and these things were everywhere and I wondered if they were vandalized/ stolen since they're just there and hoping people stay honest.

[202_Cyclist]

This is peak millennial.

Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership With Lime

By Eric Newcomer and Brad Stone
July 9, 2018
Bloomberg

"Electric scooter rental company Lime is teaming up with Uber to bring an unconventional mode of transportation to the world.

Uber Technologies Inc. is investing in Lime as part of a $335 million financing round, the companies plan to announce on Monday. The deal, led by Alphabet Inc.’s venture arm GV, values the scooter business at $1.1 billion.

While details of the partnership are still being finalized, Uber plans to promote Lime in its mobile application and slap its logo on the scooters, executives from the two companies said. Uber took a similar step with a startup called Jump Bikes, which rents electric bicycles, before acquiring the business for more than $100 million in April. Uber said it still plans to roll out e-bikes in more cities around the world..."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ship-with-lime

[mrnyc]

nyc dockless bike sharing debuts in the rockaways:

https://www.amny.com/transit/dockles...nyc-1.19805799

[M II A II R II K]

Expanded bike-sharing crosses town lines

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/gl...vNN/story.html

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- By the end of the summer, people who live, work or visit 15 communities in Greater Boston will be able to rent bikes using a smart phone and ride them anywhere within those cities and towns. --- The Metropolitan Area Planning Council has created a new regional dock-less bike share service for 15 participating communities — Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Milton, Needham, Newton, Revere, Waltham, Watertown, and Winthrop.

- The system will allow users to pick up and drop off a bicycle nearly anywhere in the participating communities, although some cities and towns may choose to assign designated parking locations. --- Users lock and unlock bicycles with a smartphone, but measures will be taken to ensure those without smartphones, and those who prefer to pay with cash, can use the system. The launch of the dock-less system will bring bike sharing to areas outside of the municipalities currently served by BLUEbikes.

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[mrnyc]

dockless bikes make the front page news in rockaway queens

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

This is peak millennial.

Uber Will Rent Scooters Through Its App in Partnership With Lime

By Eric Newcomer and Brad Stone
July 9, 2018
Bloomberg

"Electric scooter rental company Lime is teaming up with Uber to bring an unconventional mode of transportation to the world.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ship-with-lime

Bring a helmet or else don't be surprised to get a ticket.

Bird goes after helmet laws for electric scooters
The e-scooter rental company quietly sponsors a bill to get rid of some California safety rules.
BY DARA KERR
JULY 16, 2018

Electric scooters operated by Bird, the largest e-scooter rental company in California, come with a little sticker that says, "helmet required, license required, no riding on sidewalks, no double riding, 18+ years old."

This isn't just a list of best practices from Bird. They're California state laws for the motorized vehicles, which can travel up to 15 miles per hour. But if you look at the people zipping around city streets on these things, you'll see them breaking at least one rule nine times out of 10.

So Bird decided to do something about it.

In February, the company sponsored a bill in the California State Legislature that's aimed at getting rid of most of these safety rules. The bill proposed doing away with the helmet and driver's license requirements and raising the maximum speed of the motorized scooters to 20 mph. It also said riders should be allowed to cruise on sidewalks. This bill has quietly made its way through the state assembly and is now up for the senate vote. And it's looking likely to pass.

https://www.cnet.com/news/bird-goes-after-helmet-laws-for-electric-scooters/

[mrnyc]

its jump bikes and lime for dockless bikes on staten island:

https://articles.silive.com/news/201...bike_share.amp

[202_Cyclist]

Two of the companies, Ofo and Mobike, providing dockless bikesharing in Washington announced this week that they are stopping service here.

Dockless bike-sharing company Ofo is the first to pull out of the District
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...ll-out-of-d-c/

Mobike becomes second dockless bike operator to pull out of D.C.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.cc7080ea7070

[M II A II R II K]

NYC’s dockless bike share pilot debuts on Staten Island

https://ny.curbed.com/2018/7/26/1761...ime-jump-share

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- Following the launch of the city’s dockless bike share program in the Rockaways earlier this month, a new set of dockless bikes are now available on Staten Island’s North Shore. The pilot program on Staten Island will stretch from the North Shore down the east shore to South Beach. The Staten Island pilot will be run by Jump and Lime; the latter will have 200 regular pedal bikes for rent starting today. After the rule change for pedal-assist bikes goes into effect on Saturday, Lime may swap some of their regular bikes for pedal-assist ones. Jump will debut an additional 100 pedal-assist bikes on Saturday. --- Lime’s regular bikes will rent at $1 per 30-minute period, and Jump’s bikes will ask $2 for a 30-minute period. If Lime introduces pedal-assist bikes, those will cost $1 to unlock and 15 cents per minute after that. Jump and Lime are also offering discounted rates to public housing residents. Users need only to download either of the apps on their phones, and then use that to unlock the bikes. After use, they must be returned to a bike rack or the sidewalk, and can only be used within the designated pilot area.

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[mrnyc]

pace dockless bikes along the rockaway beach boardwalk

[202_Cyclist]

This is unfortunate but not surprising.

Scooter use is rising in major cities. So are trips to the emergency room.

By Peter Holley
September 6, 2018
Washington Post

"They have been pouring into emergency rooms around the nation all summer, their bodies bearing a blend of injuries that doctors normally associate with victims of car wrecks — broken noses, wrists and shoulders, facial lacerations and fractures, as well as the kind of blunt head trauma that can leave brains permanently damaged.

When doctors began asking patients to explain their injuries, many were surprised to learn that the surge of broken body parts stemmed from the latest urban transportation trend: shared electric scooters.

In Santa Monica, Calif. — where one of the biggest electric-scooter companies is based — the city’s fire department has responded to 34 serious accidents involving the devices this summer. The director of an emergency department there said his team treated 18 patients who were seriously injured in electric-scooter accidents during the final two weeks of July. And in San Francisco, the doctor who runs the emergency room at a major hospital said he is seeing as many as 10 severe injuries a week..."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...=.756641fe00c0

[KevinFromTexas]

I'll say one thing, these scooters are absolutely useless for transporting any cargo. There's also the gray area of should they be in the street or on the sidewalk. I tend to think they should be in the street as they're really quite fast - way faster than anyone will be walking or jogging on the sidewalk or even in their motorized wheelchair. Sidewalks are not built for speed and there's too much activity going on to make it safe. I guess they're handy if you have to go run an errand without carrying much on you, but if you've got groceries to carry or a loaded backpack with books or whatever, I can't see them being too comfortable for that.

[dubu]

i had a e scooter and i crashed a bunch, it was a skateboar scooter and curbs are what i crashed from. i never went very fast on it. on my bike i would break bones and stuff because id go fast. people on e bike usually go slow, i havent seen many e scooters.

[dubu]

theres nice street legal ones, its kinda like having a e vespa without a seat. mor for just getting around the city i would think.

• Video Link

[JManc]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I'll say one thing, these scooters are absolutely useless for transporting any cargo. There's also the gray area of should they be in the street or on the sidewalk. I tend to think they should be in the street as they're really quite fast - way faster than anyone will be walking or jogging on the sidewalk or even in their motorized wheelchair. Sidewalks are not built for speed and there's too much activity going on to make it safe. I guess they're handy if you have to go run an errand without carrying much on you, but if you've got groceries to carry or a loaded backpack with books or whatever, I can't see them being too comfortable for that.

I was just in Paris and I saw people whizzing around on these things all over the place. People of all ages..people well into their 60's and many were carrying things; backpacks, small bag of groceries, etc. Space is so tight there that sometimes even a bike can be cumbersome.