DURHAM, N.C. — City leaders say the new bike share program is becoming a bit problematic.

  • City wants the community to help keep the city tidy
  • With the dockless bike app, people can leave bikes anywhere
  • Residents say it looks messy

The popular app allows users to unlock, ride and park bikes just about anywhere, but many are now finding the bikes knocked over or in the middle of the sidewalks.

“Typically, you just see them knocked over and it just looks a mess,” says resident Amanda Blanchard.

In response, city leaders put out a tweet asking the community to pick up and park the bikes upright if they see them out of order.

“We just ask that if you see a bike that's fallen over, and you can and are able to, we love if you can pick it up, make the program look nice,” said Transportation Planner Bryan Poole.

Poole says bike companies are already required to check up on their bikes to make sure they're neat. One company, Ofo, released this statement:

"We love that folks are using Ofo bikes and finding real value in our new affordable, convenient way to get around Durham, and it’s incredibly important that we effectively manage our bikes and address any issues in real-time. That’s why Ofo has a local operations team that oversees the bike fleets, making sure they're properly parked, clear of right of ways and in safe, working condition. We’re committed to serving the Durham community and we're actively monitoring and responding to emails and feedback shared through our support system to ensure we're addressing any issues and educating our riders."

Poole says the city and companies are coming up with ways to keep the bikes tidy. One idea is to install detectors in the bikes so companies will be alert when they're knocked over onto the ground.

However, Poole says some of those technologies haven't quite rolled out yet.

 

 

 

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