Just a little over two weeks after NYC’s dockless bike pilot launched, reports of chaos are emerging in some part of the dockless program’s service area. The New York Post was the first to report on these concerns, which include a severe lack of functioning bikes, and bikes that aren’t being returned to an appropriate location.
After first rolling out the pilot program in the Rockaways, the dockless bike share program was also available on Staten Island’s North Shore, and near Fordham University, in the Bronx, last week. Jump, an Uber subsidiary, introduced 100 pedal-assist bikes in the Bronx on July 28, but on at least one day last week, only 8 bikes were to be found within the service area, according to reporting by the Post. In one particular instance, the Post reported that of the bikes found in the service area, only two were functioning, and the rest displayed repair signs on them.
On Staten Island, some bikes ended up on the Manhattan side of the Staten Island Ferry terminal even though the pilot area only covers the North Shore of Staten Island. In the Rockaways, several images taken by local residents and visitors reveal damaged bikes or others left in odd locations.
Stripping the bicycle..funny how nothing last long. I notified pace of bike location.
Posted by Colleen West on Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Have at it
Posted by Donna Miley-Figueroa on Friday, July 20, 2018
NYC’s dockless bike share pilot is operated by several providers—Jump, Lime, and Pace are a few. A spokesperson for Jump attributed the problems reported by the Post to the fact that their full fleet hadn’t gone into service yet, and the fact that users were taking longer rides on the bikes.
“We have seen phenomenally strong demand and people taking longer than average rides throughout our service areas, and we are appreciative that the DOT doubled the number of bikes we will have, which will help meet the demand for this type of transportation option on Staten Island and in the Bronx,” said a spokesperson for JUMP.
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