dockless bike share - what I've seen so far

Since the 5/1 launch of dockless bike share in the ward, I've been taking rides using the bikes and seeing plenty of other people riding them. The patterns I've observed suggest that a lot of people are enjoying the bikes and finding them a convenient way to get around.

Someone rode this LimeBike to the church and thoughtfully parked
it at the edge of the sidewalk, where it doesn't interfere with access.

At this point, we have three companies operating in the service area specified by CDOT: LimeBike, Ofo and Pace. I've heard that Jump wants to come into the Chicago market, but I've heard nothing about approval or a launch date.

Ofo bike waiting for a rider

There might not be enough bike parking to go around if the lock-to requirement is enforced as of 7/1. The city allowed the pilot program on the condition that all dockless bikes have the capacity to be locked to a fixed object at the end of a trip. Right now only Pace bikes have that capacity, and it doesn't sound like LimeBike and Ofo will be adding it.

This is disappointing news. Many of us ride the bikes to get home from the train or other places, or from home to the train. I have been observing the bikes on the streets in various neighborhoods and seen very few problems. Occasionally I see a bike knocked over or left in an inappropriate spot, but that has been rare.

On many residential blocks in the dockless service area, there is nothing to lock to that's smaller than a light pole, so riders have to find a spot that may be 1 block or more from home. This makes dockless bikes less useful than they would be without this limitation. I would urge aldermen and CDOT to consider this and re-evaluate the lock-to requirement and 7/1 deadline. 

I understand why CDOT would prefer bikes that can be secured to a fixed object, because of problems in Dallas and other cities with large numbers of dockless bikes.

Even on a rainy day, bike parking at the 99th St. Metra station
is often full.

People lock up their personal bikes in creative places if there isn't an open bike rack nearby.

Is there a location where you often find existing bike racks full? If you want to submit a request to the city for a rack, click here. It's a good idea to check your desired location on the map and see if there is an existing request for that spot before requesting a new one. You can click Support (similar to Facebook's Like button) to give an existing request a vote. You can also add comments about why you want a new rack there. This can include replacement of an old rack that was hit by a car and destroyed.

Recently I've heard that Pace bike share is intending to install additional racks to help address this problem. I hope that it's enough to make a meaningful difference.

If you're using dockless bike share and you like it, please tell your alderman. If you have specific suggestions about the lock-to requirement or other issues, please share those too. If you're a fan of LimeBike or Ofo and want them to stay, now's the time to let your alderman know.

Contact info for each ward follows at the links below.
19th ward   34th ward  21st ward  9th ward   10th ward  8th ward  7th ward   6th ward  17th ward

Using a signpost for locking up is fine where there's no bike rack.
On many residential blocks, this is the only option.

Additional perspectives:
Dockless bike share and equity

Another perspective on parking

Chicago's south side gets dockless bike share