Bike share originally gained prominence globally as station-based systems. The model is based on users checking a bicycle out from one station and returning it to another station close to their destination. Using smart phone apps, users identify the closest station for each end of the trip. These users can be tourists renting a bike for a couple of hours, or daily commuters.

With the rise of dockless systems, bike share has nearly come full circle. From “yellow bikes” to station-based to hybrid (smart dock + smart bike) systems, this recent rapid innovation is taking bike share into new territory, in an effort to capitalize on the strengths of each previous version.

Bikes parked at a bike share docking station — Alta Planning + Design

Dockless Bike Share

As the name suggests, dockless bike share does not require a docking station — an expense that could sometimes limit the number of bikes a city could afford. With dockless systems, bicycles can be parked within a defined district at a bike rack or along the sidewalk. Dockless bikes can be located and unlocked using a smartphone app.

Unlocking Spin bike with a smartphone. source: GeekWire.

Dockless bike share is designed for short, spontaneous trips. While the cost of using traditional bike share for a single trip (typically, $7/day) could be seen as a barrier to ridership, most dockless bike share models offer single trips for $1. Although $1 per ride isn’t great for multiple trips in one day, it is great for that one way trip for a tourist, to cruise around shortly, or the quick ride to meet friends or ride to a meeting. To address more frequent users, LimeBike offers a monthly package of $30/100 rides.

Dockless bike share adds even more convenience for users who no longer need to worry about empty bike share stations at the front end of the trip, or full stations upon arrival. However, this convenience for users can be a problem for both system operators (who must rebalance bikes to meet demand) and cities (who must manage a clutter of bicycles on sidewalks already under pressure from competing uses). The wide, scattered nature of operations also poses drawbacks related to maintenance, bicycle durability, economic sustainability, and potential lack of visibility that established stations provide.

Misplacement of dockless bikes can be a real issue. To manage parking issues, cities and operators can institute incentives and disincentives as part of a regulatory framework. Several operators like oBike and LimeBike give credit points for returning to bikes to a designated parking location.

Screenshot of oBike’s credit system in Melbourne, Australia.

Mobike, which operates more than five million bikes and has 100 million registered users (taking 25 million trips per day at peak times), encourages users to park at Mobike Preferred Locations (MPL) and provides bike parking best practices on their website. The company also offers incentives for reporting bad parking practices, stating in their company FAQ, “If you see any illegal or poorly parked Mobike, please send us feedback and you will be rewarded with Mobike Credits.”