Lime Bikes in Forest Park
I discovered half-a-dozen Lime Bike bicycles today, in Forest Park. There were sitting on the path between Pagoda Circle and the Visitors Center, under the blossoming Bradford pears. I had heard that this kiosk-less ride sharing service was coming to town, but it was still a surprise to see them just sitting there. A lock immobilizes the rear wheel, which with their app and a credit card can be unlocked. The first ride is free. There is also a lojack system that tracks the bikes. Almost a hundred of these bikes were distributed around town.
I hadn’t been expecting the bicycles, when I stopped to checkout the blooming trees. The above photo is just the latest example of this shot, which I have taken again and again. I thought that I had missed these flowers, while we were in California, because normally them bloom at the beginning of April. They are late this year, but then so is spring this year too,
Oh, man! Did you just hit a nerve. Those bikes (and scooters) are all over my neighborhood. The community is up in arms, and bike shop owners are none too happy, either.
There’s three different companies that operate the lime bikes, orange bikes or foot scooters. They are littered everywhere. The scooters are especially dangerous because they are stealthy and exceed the 8mph limit. Unsuspecting strollers cannot get out of their way. I’ve been run down a few times. Pedestrians were mowed down over Spring Break by college kids who ride these things with complete and utter abandon. They plow through people like orange cones on an obstacle course. One young woman said that “old people should just get out of the way”.
When the bike or scooter runs out of juice they simply are abandoned in someone’s yard, or left in the street where they pose a dangerous hazard.
We held a town council to address this problem. The owners of the dockless rentals claimed that they were providing convenience while saving the environment. Homeowners complained about having to remove the bikes and scooters from their driveways; and senior citizens said it was no longer safe to go for a walk.
As for the environment — the vandalized, overturned bikes and scooters are more of an eyesore and nuisance than convenience. And dozens of local bike rental shops are taking a severe financial hit. I mean, these are business owners who have to pay operating costs like rent and wages. They’ll have to lay off workers, or close.
Dockless bikes don’t need a storefront. They’re just dumped on the street willy nilly. On the surface it sounds like it might be a good idea, but like everything else the decision makers don’t think through the process. Trying to put the genie back in the bottle is proving very difficult.
I guess that I did hit a nerve. 😉