With programs sprouting in Denver, Boston, and D.C., the United States has recently witnessed a new string of momentum for urban bikeshare programs.  When DC’s Capital Bikeshare program annual membership figures reached 4,700 in November (new memberships expectantly slow during winter months), New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg is proposing an ambitious new systemthat would immediately put 10,000 bikes on the street at 600 new bike-share stations. Likewise, bikeshare programs have gained traction in Latin America.

Following Mexico City, whose Ecobici program enrolled 4,000 new registrants in the first 3 months of operation in the face of an extremely inhospitable bike environment (mixed cobbled streets, poor emissions requirements, few bike lanes), and Santiago, Chile; Buenos Aires and Santa Fe, Argentina have, as of last month, joined in the Latin American bikeshare scene. Buenos Aires, who launched their bikeshare program in December, has quickly expanded from 100 bikes at 3 stations to 500 bikes at 12 stations. Santa Fe, a much smaller city south of Buenos Aires, opened doors to its first station last week with plans to quickly build two more in the coming month. This is an encouraging trend.    

Bikeshare programs make riding a bike an attractive option for more, “everyday” commuters. Just as public buses are efficient for people who can not conveniently access an automobile, bikeshare is attractive because it provides on-hand transport for people who would not otherwise consider traveling on two-wheels. A well designed bikeshare system offers a flexible, inexpensive, and unparalleled modal option for short urban commutes.   

Beyond the monetary cost (for cities and users), road safety, health, social, and time saving benefits that bikes and bikeshare programs have on cities, they also have a positive impact on the area’s environmental and energy concerns. Not only is bike travel zero emissions (bikeshare stations often operate on solar power), but their use directly lowers the ridership of other, polluting, transportation options. In addition, Bikeshare infrastructure as well as bike pathway creation and upkeep require only a fraction of the energy cost and environmental impact that their automobile carrying counterparts demand. As a city’s bikeshareridership grows more people have the opportunity to experience biking’s long list of benefits. It is our hope that their experience will lead these new riders to support the future expansion of pedestrian friendly infrastructure, a benefit to all urban ecospheres.

Posted in American Planning Association, Climate Change