The homeless and ride-share bikes

[dallasfan]

Every time I drive through downtown I notice these ugly green and yellow rideshare bikes ridden by the homeless. I saw a whole gang of homeless riding through one time and the bikes are littered everywhere on the sidewalks. I think they are smartphone and credit card activitated so how are the homeless getting a hold of the bikes. I see some parked in hotel parking lots. I glanced one time and saw a note that first ride free so I assume you have to pay to ride them. I’m guess users are not locking them back after they use them or the homeless have found a way to get around it.

They have to be gps tracked I would guess. Guess the companies just don’t care. I have yet to see anyone but the homeless riding these things. Lol

[CG2014]

You can break the lock on those things real easily.

[billw1032]

Rental bikes are VERY common (and very useful) in major cities in China, but cities there are organized in a much different arrangement than is Dallas. You unlock them with your phone, and you have to lock them back to stop being charged. Never tried to break a lock, though. In some places they have preferred return areas. Maybe that gets you a price break if you leave the bike in a preferred location.

[CG2014]

The city of Dallas just passed very strict legislation regulating these bikes.

There are several companies here in Dallas that have those bikes.

Asides from the yellow ones, I've also seen green ones and bright orange ones.

I think once the city starts enforcing the laws outlined under this new legislation, many of these bike share companies will leave the city.

http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/d...ne-27-10769036

That website ^^^ wouldn't open for me because I had ad blockers and privacy blockers on my browser - took a while to get it to open without turning off all the safeguards on my browser;

here some highlights from that article just in case y'all have the same issues I did trying to open it.

bike operators will pay the city $776 for an initial permit and $18 per bike per year to operate in Dallas

$18 per bike adds up to a lot of $ even if it's only a once a year fee.

no bike be left in the same spot for more than two days if its in a residential neighborhood or seven days anywhere else

that means these bikes companies will have to hire people to track these bikes and provide company trucks so they can go around the city and move those bikes to different spots

Bikes can't be left on their sides for more than two hours, according to the proposed ordinance, nor can they be parked on a sidewalk less than 8 feet wide or on a wheelchair ramp.

again, more manpower needed to go around and spot checks the bikes which results in money spent on employees and vehicles and gasoline

There are more than 3 bike share companies in Dallas but

the three biggest companies in the city — ofo, Limebike and VBikes — reported having 5,000, 3,000 and 1,000 bikes in Dallas, respectively.

5000x$18 per bike, 3000x$18 per bike, 1000x$18 per bike. A lot of money!

Do these companies even make enough money yearly in DFW to cover those fees?

again, that's a lot of bikes that these companies have to keep track of to make sure they are not laying on their sides, left where they shouldn't be, that they are moved to a different spot every 2 days or every 7 days

[billw1032]

So, the city council expects DPD to go around looking for bikes left on their side for more than two hours? Do we really think they don't have anything better to do?
Having seen how these bikes work effectively in an environment where they really are useful, I have a hard time seeing how a company can make it work effectively and profitably in a city like Dallas even without the burden of this ordinance.

[dallasfan]

I thought the article said they were going to hire 4 employees to manage this from the permit fees.

They are putting them in the wrong areas. Put them uptown and not in the ghetto and rot of downtown.

[CG2014]

Someone at Dallas City Hall is going to make a lot of $ from all the per bike permit fees plus the Dallas budget that will be spend to enforce this ordnance.

[dallasfan]

Not really 10000 bikes @ $18 per bike is only $180000. If they hire 4 employees, that will only be $45,000 per employee. Even with minimum wage employees they are going to struggle to pay them because they will have to supply them a truck, equipment and cell phone plus pay their benefits.

[CG2014]

They can always take DART or use some of the bikes that had the locks broken off to get around.... LOL!

[TexTushHog]

I’ve seen tons of people riding them in Uptown, and none of them are homeless. There are usually anywhere from three to six within a block or so of my place. I’ve used them to ride to and from the DART station, grocery store, etc. I’ve even ridden one to my Dallas office, just for kicks.

I’d think that the $18 fee would be covered in just a couple of days. About half the time I go the grocery store, I have to snag a different bike to ride home than the one I ride to the store because that one is gone.

I think the excessive sprawl of the initial roll out is over and you’re seeing them much more intelligently deployed. Each company has algorithms that tell them where they get used, where the ones picked up typically are ridden, whether the trips are one way or round trip, etc. Dallas need to up the amount it spends of bicycle infrastructure by a huge amount, but the rent a bikes are a great alternative.

[Guest072519]

I was at 711 a day ago and this guy who's eyes were as big a silver dollar bills... Higher than kooter brown... Lmao the bike was screaming "Please return me. I will call the police." Over and over again. Guess he was so high he was like F the poe poe lol smh. It was funny. But yeah mostly dope heads ect ride them on this side.

[The_Waco_Kid]

Originally Posted by TexTushHog

I’ve seen tons of people riding them in Uptown, and none of them are homeless. There are usually anywhere from three to six within a block or so of my place. I’ve used them to ride to and from the DART station, grocery store, etc. I’ve even ridden one to my Dallas office, just for kicks.

I’d think that the $18 fee would be covered in just a couple of days. About half the time I go the grocery store, I have to snag a different bike to ride home than the one I ride to the store because that one is gone.

I think the excessive sprawl of the initial roll out is over and you’re seeing them much more intelligently deployed. Each company has algorithms that tell them where they get used, where the ones picked up typically are ridden, whether the trips are one way or round trip, etc. Dallas need to up the amount it spends of bicycle infrastructure by a huge amount, but the rent a bikes are a great alternative.

that's because you live in yuppytown. i see these bikes being used all over near my office at I35 and Mockingbird. all of them are homeless bums. how does a homeless bum have a cell phone to pay to unlock these bikes? one wonders, yeah?


the Jack in the Box at the corner has a buzzer system for the bathrooms. there are panhandlers at every corner. bums one and all looking for a quick $5 for a 40 oz bottle of Steel Reserve.

i see these bikes dumped in from of the Jack in the box, dumped along I35. dumped in front of the QuikTrip.

i see none of these bikes in the tony west Plano 'burbs where i reside. wouldn't you think this is where these companies want these bikes? in a location where people with means can actually use them?

so when is this algorithm gonna figure out where these bikes really should be?

[CG2014]

Area with people with means won't use those bikes.

They all have their own vehicles and they buy their kids nice vehicles as soon as they get their driver's licenses.

Plus who the heck wants to ride a bike in this heat?

You are sweaty and stinky when you get to your destination?

[TexTushHog]

Originally Posted by The_Waco_Kid

i see none of these bikes in the tony west Plano 'burbs where i reside. wouldn't you think this is where these companies want these bikes? in a location where people with means can actually use them?

so when is this algorithm gonna figure out where these bikes really should be?

Well, would you or your neighbors ride the bikes to the store, or from the DART station? You need to be very close to things to ride bicycles. The suburbs are auto-centric. That’s what’s wrong with them. You have to get in your car to go anywhere.

I don’t know what to tell you about homeless useage. But somebody must be paying or they wouldn’t keep them there. And Uptown has a much more diverse population than you suggest. Lots of empty nesters, too. People with second homes in Dallas, etc,

[200K]

I also work in the mockingbird area. Lots of streetwalkers and their security people riding those bikes up n down mockingbird. I've even seen a large pile of the bikes at a bus stop on Irving Blvd. I have ridden my own bike to that QT Store, sure glad I have a good lock!