It was nearly five years ago that we did the Lime bike (aka "Litterbike") experiment in B'game. Recall the concerns and complaints here. This latest experiment is with Spin which appears to have a rule against kids under 18 using their bikes. During Lime's short-lived experiment, kids seemed to me to be the main riders. The DJ notes some of the details:
A new electric bike sharing program is set to roll out in Burlingame, with Millbrae also looking to get in on the action. The program would have 200 electric bikes for transit commuters and in-city use and will be a joint collaboration with Millbrae, which will discuss the idea Oct. 11. Users will get discounts if they park the bikes in “preferred zones” that include existing bike racks, corrals and stencil-marked areas in locations around the cities.
The cities were each awarded a $200,000 San Mateo County Transportation Authority grant to implement a bicycle-sharing program. The total sum for the award equals $440,000, including a $20,000 match by each city. Burlingame and Millbrae will apply the funds toward the purchase of new bicycle racks and signs for preferred parking zones. The cities will also subsidize rides for new users and subsidize a portion of Spin’s cost to purchase e-bikes for the program, according to the report.
It feels a little expensive to me (68% more than the deal Penn State has), but there will be "subsidies" so this will be tagged to the new "Free Stuff (Not)" category as well
Spin is proposing $1 to unlock and 42 cents per minute to ride. Spin also offers discount rates for monthly passes, student pricing and low-income users, according to the staff report. Spin spokesperson Phuong Bui said that the staff operates 24/7 and aims to respond to bikes parking improperly within two hours.
If that sounds to you like we may have more Spin vans driving around picking up bikes and placing them back where they belong and relocating them, you are not alone. But there is a fine schedule, and you get banned after four parking infractions. I've done a couple of two-hour rides on an e-bike and it's fun, but it's also a potentially dangerous activity for those around the rider since they are fast. I hope BPD is ready for more traffic enforcement. In fact, let's start now with the motorized scooters that are zipping all over town after school lets out.
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