?? Pedaling Problems

After Blue Cross Blue Shield decided not to renew its sponsorship of the Nice Ride public bikeshare program, the city of Minneapolis acted quickly to adapt. However, a recent article?highlights some of the challenges encountered with the new free-floating bike operators that have filled the void left by Nice Ride.

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According to the author, despite the promises of convenience and accessibility, the system falls short of expectations. The lack of available bikes and docking stations seemingly renders the service unreliable and inconvenient for users. Acosta also criticizes the pricing structure and involvement of corporate sponsors, claiming they are used to maximize profit rather than promote widespread adoption, and compromise the spirit of a community-oriented bike-share program.?

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Acosta concludes by emphasizing the need for a bike-share system that prioritizes the needs and interests of the community it serves over anything else. Is this a lesson for bike-share programs everywhere?

?? Ready to ride

This wednesday, the?shared electric scooter will make its debut?onto the streets of Regina, Saskatchewan.

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The city began its journey to get the program off the ground in April, when the council?approved a bylaw amendment?that would allow shared scooters to operate. This included rules on helmet-wearing, speed limits and driving on pavements. The bylaw does not yet apply to personal scooters, but the city administration has reportedly begun the process to bring them safely to the city as well.

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The launch will take place at 10 a.m. at Victoria Park and Scarth Street, where Mayor Sandra Masters will join the two operators to officially set the program in motion. Plus, there will also be a demonstration from the operators for the attendees.

Launches & expansions

???? CANADA

Bird?| Scooters

Launch in?Cochrane, AB?| Scooters

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?????UNITED STATES

BCycle?| Bikes

Launch in?Santa Cruz, CA?| 400 electric bikes

Launch in?Truckee, CA?| 50 electric bikes

Summit County Transportation?| Bikes

Re-launch in?Summit County, UT?| 185 electric bikes

To read about the other launches and expansions, subscribe?here!

City updates

?????CANADA?

Kelowna, BC?|?Over 600,000 trips?made on shared bikes and?scooters this year.

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?????UNITED STATES

Boulder, CO?|?Public input?sought for regional bike-share program.

Seattle, WA?| Shared bike and scooter users took?3.7 million trips last year.

To read about the other city updates, subscribe?here!

Industry news

Micromobility.com?launches?Wheels 2.0 app.

World Economic Forum’s Global New Mobility Coalition?releases the?Urban Mobility Scorecard Tool 2023.

To read about the other industry news, subscribe?here!