Concerns Grow Over San Diego’s New Bike Share Program

Despite a whirlwind of optimistic publicity surrounding San Diego’s new bike share program, many are worried that it will not be the pot of gold that was promised. Previously, we covered the unveiling of the San Diego bike share program and its unexpected delays. The program, co-sponsored by Deco-Bike, was slated to open for business sometime between January and March; however, the city lacked permits from businesses on whose property the bike-share stations were to be built.

Despite the delays, San Diegans remained hopeful about the program. However, New York City’s similar Citibike program recently flopped after much pre-launch rhetoric of solving the city’s infamous traffic problems. Citibike faced too little riders and too much costly maintenance. Bike share programs in Washington D. C., Chicago and San Francisco all owe their existence to public subsidies.

San Diego’s bike share program “is unique in the sense that we have no public investment,” according to City Council President Todd Gloria. “This is purely a private enterprise, and we actually expect to make money off of this. Unlike other cities, who have either provided public subsidies, even asking for public money, we are not putting in any money. And it’s our hope and expectation to make money.”

Time will tell as to whether or not Deco-Bike will be found begging for alms from the public coffers. The company spearheaded the bike-share program in Miami, Florida which is now struggling and requesting assistance from the city.

According to the San Diego Transportation Department, Deco-Bike’s mistakes in Miami will not be replicated in San Diego because “they’re building new equipment that is going to be San Diego specific. They’ve built a new bike—San Diego specific. They’ve got a new mechanism that is going to let the people take the bikes in and out. It’s all very San Diego specific, all called out in the contract for the performance standards that we want.”

I Need A San Diego Injury Lawyer That Specializes In Bicycle Accidents

It will be interesting to see how the Deco-Bike program pans out and changes the transportation landscape of San Diego. Attorney Joshua Bonnici has been an integral part of the San Diego bicycle community for years, most recently taking part in the Blind Stokers Bicycle Club and speaking at the Bicycle Film Festival. If you need an informed opinion on bicycle safety  or cycling laws, we would be glad to provide the answer if you give us a call.

[Did You Know: The bike share program delays result in $60,000 of missed revenue each month.]

Bonnici Law Group, APC—San Diego bicycle accident lawyer

Source: http://www.kusi.com/story/25269624/san-diego-bike-share-bumps-in-the-road