Are there any cities where dockless shared #bikes work well? In my experience almost every city where shared bikes become a positive part of the urban fabric they are docked (DC, NY, Vancouver, Paris). The bright coloured start up dockless ones seem to just end up as footpath junk.
@jedsetter If you define any undocked bike as junk, then yes they will be junk....
Think we need more creative solutions than a dichotomy. The great thing about bikes is you don't need the density of people going to the same place that you need for public transport. I'm not sure what density of use make a shared bike 'worthwhile' in a lifecycle cost/emissions sense but I suspect it's not high. So, people should be able to ride to spots where it just doesn't make sense to have a whole dock. /..
@jedsetter but in areas of potentially dense use like our CBD, it would make sense to make dedicated parking space for them, and it would make sense to ensure they are parked in this space, and docks are the easiest way to do that. /...
@jedsetter Hybrid models are still pretty new though, from what I'm reading.
Another solution would be at least one dedicated bike parking spot on every block/in every set of car spots, and bikes always have to be left in such a spot, but can't imagine that any time soon in Sydney!
@jroper oo yeah I like the every block virtual dock idea. I kinda experienced that in marseille but they were too far apart to work property.
and yeah you're right on my negative choice of language, just spent this afternoon in the eastern suburbs for the first time in a long time and they were laying about here and there.
this photo they're completely obstructing the footpath (the main path is on the other side)
@jedsetter Yeah I think it would be great. Most Sydney blocks are small enough that it wouldn't diminish the convenience of cycling too much. Though I guess I'm imagining every side of the block, and maybe more if it's a long block.
Did you pick them up? I know it's annoying and we need better solutions, but until then...
@jroper ha, no. not in Bondi... I have an update though! day 2, surry Hills and Zetland the bikes seem to be better parked and more used. I'm kinda tempted to look into pricing. Hard to see this is a market best served by competition though. maybe the reason docked systems work is because they're a benevolent monopoly...
@jedsetter Look into pricing, like to ride one yourself? Cost is the only reason I don't use them often!
Yeah, around Erskineville I see at least 3 different systems but only Limes seem to be well used. Monopoly + government subsidy (like the most common docked systems, and public transport and roads for that matter) would surely be better ...
@jedsetter But I have this suspicion parts of our governments aren't interested in docked systems because they would be too permanent, maybe even too popular, and would create public pressure to actually have safe routes between all the docks, and providing all that (routes and dock space) would require unimaginable levels of cooperation between TfNSW and councils...
But maybe I'm getting a little conspiracy theorist here.
