Uber, with an estimated worth of almost $50 billion, is now testing the use and sharing of pedal-assisted electric bicycles as part of their company. After using the Uber app to find a bike nearby, users are given a pin to unlock it and are charged $2 for a half-hour use. As bikes come with a built-in lock and GPS tracker, users don’t need to find a dock to leave the bikes. However, this dockless-bicycle initiative, unassociated with Uber, has been introduced in China and other places and has encountered problems that include vandalism and misplacement.
While I can see how Uber decided to test this new model in a city where traffic is a problem, I don’t think that it will be too successful. People still primarily rely on cars for transportation, and since there have been large problems with dockless bikes in other cities, I’m unsure of Uber’s new initiative.
What do you think about Uber’s exploration in this new sector of bike-sharing? Do you think bike-sharing and dockless-biking can be successful in the US and large cities like San Francisco?
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13 comments:
I feel like it's good that Uber is trying to move into a field that is more environment-friendly and cost efficient for people, and I'm happy that they're starting this in San Francisco because bikes are a big thing there for local commutes and traffic is already terrible in the city. However, I am also unsure of how far this initiative can actually stretch, since SF is pretty unique compared to most other places across the country. Maybe in other large cities, bike-sharing can blow up, but I don't know whether Uber will continue doing it or not if their only revenue ends up coming from big cities. Hopefully they do, because if it works, this initiative could reduce environmental issues and traffic, which people would love to happen.
Uber is taking a step in the right direction with the new bike-sharing program. Cars aren't always the most efficient way of getting around in some cases, like getting to a destination that's less than 5 minutes away. I think that this has a lot of potential for the US and major cities, however, I feel like they should start small and have their own experiments with it instead of relying on China's data or other countries. For example, universities with large campuses would be a great idea. Biking is very common in these areas and would not only serve as a way of gathering beneficial information on American society's impact on this sector of the business, but also potentially make profit from students who view this program, or biking in general, as effective in their daily lives.
Like Sahith and Miguel, I would agree that Uber bike-sharing is a great idea. Moreover, $2 seems very cheap for a half-hour bike ride. Increasing bike usage would decrease heavy vehicular traffic in San Francisco, and complements the network of bike-only lanes found on Market Street and other major SF corridors. Biking is a green mode of transportation, much better than increasing carbon emissions from riding more cars. Therefore, I strongly support increasing the usage of bike sharing practices. My biggest concern would merely be about dirty bikes and misplaced bikes. But if Uber is willing to invest resources to clean these bikes and ensure they are managed and kept in good working condition, I would be happy.
I think it's great that Uber is trying to do something to be more environmentally friendly. However, I don't think people will use this. It might be more effective in SF, since there are a lot of tourists traveling without a car. I might just be lazy, but if I was trying to get somewhere, and the bike wasn't located within 100 feet, I wouldn't want to walk around, get lost, and try to find it. Interestingly, Dallas, Texas already have a some dockless bikes, but they are receiving negative feedback such as "clog the sidewalks" and clustering up bike racks. Dallas' director of transportation is trying to regulate the use of these kinds of bikes.
The idea of “bike sharing” sounds great. People can ride the bike when they need it, and when they don’t they can just abandon it wherever they are. However, this could prove to just clutter cities as bikes will be left all over the streets and no one will be responsible for them. Moving away from cars and towards greener transportation is a laudable goal, but this idea seems to overlook its practical costs.
I think that the concept is good overall, but the execution may not be the best. There have been many other rent-a-bike things around the city and I don't know how many more companies like those we need before bikes start to pollute the streets. Personally, for me, I would not use this service (because I can't ride a bike). To estimate the success of this, one might need to compare the success or lack of success for similar bike renting programs. SF is a great place to test this program, but this would only be popular in populated, traffic-filled places or campuses, as Frank said.
I think that this is a good idea, and there can't be that much backlash that can come from this. This could be a useful idea for tourists, or anyone who wants to ride around the piers for the day or something.
I think this is a pretty good idea but they already have something similar in many cities. Lots of cities have easily accessible bikes that are available to be rented for a few hours but the dockless and GPS aspect of it is definitely different. However, I don't think that would make a big difference in the amount of people that would use them. I don't think these bikes would be super successful in San Francisco because it is very busy and full of hills. I could see more people using these in a more flat, less congested city or a campus as Miguel mentioned.
I personally really like this idea for a lot of reasons, and think its a smart move on Uber's part. It's a great, eco-friendly option for both tourists and locals alike, and it also has the convenience of Uber. A lot of bike sharing programs don't have that built-in ease of locating the nearest bike from your phone, and I think what Uber is trying to do makes people more inclined to get around with a bike as opposed to a car, which is not the "greenest" nor fastest option, especially in bigger cities. Ethan brings up a good point, however, seeing as cities could become cluttered with bikes. Less congested cities and towns would benefit a lot more from a bike sharing program like this, but I still imagine a good number of people using them in larger cities like San Francisco.
I think this is a good idea and a step towards a healthier lifestyle and a greener Earth. However, I don't think it's good for big cities. It's so hard to just walk or bike around in big cities, but it's probably a lot better for small cities like San Mateo or European cities because it's easier to go around with a bike and not a car.
I think this idea may be better in theory, rather than in reality. It is amazing as it is more eco-friendly, encourages a more active lifestyle and is not as expensive. Also, it could reduce traffic flow. However, while that sounds great, I think there may be a lot of issues with this. First of all, many cities already have bikes or some sort of transportation available for use. Also, I feel that more people would choose to take a car, rather than a bike. Additionally, some people may not know how to ride a bike. I think this could be an amazing idea, but they may have difficulty getting it started.
I think any initiative to limit the amount of pollution and traffic in the Bay Area is an idea worth pursing. San Francisco is a fairly hilly city, which may make the bikes a less viable option. However, even if there is a minimal positive impact, it is so much better than the insanely costly and damaging effects of driving in the Bay Area. No single solution makes a lot of sense for most people, but smaller initiative could have a real impact.
I think Uber's idea is good, however, it isn't really realistic. Uber is taking a step towards helping the environment, and even trying to promote a healthier lifestyle, but practically, I feel like most people won't want to bike all the time. In places as busy as San Francisco, I feel like theres already barely enough room to walk around the city on sidewalks, yet walking to try to fit bike rentals in with the heavily trafficked area. However, the price is definitely affordable at $2 and would be useful for tourists as they can bike around the city, while sightseeing. I just worry about the crowdedness, but why not give it a try? San Francisco is a great place to test it out and what's the worst thing that could happen?
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