The Bike Share Criticism Challenge

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen a few of my rather straightforward tweets in which I repeat some of the main criticisms of bike share offered by NIMBYs as they fight tooth and nail to move Citi Bike stations from their blocks. These tweets are typically followed by pictures that belie that very criticism, showing that the problem they’re predicting bike share will cause already exists and is caused by cars. Yet somehow the NIMBY logic doesn’t extend from removing bike share stations to also removing car parking.

Here are some of the typical NIMBY complaints about bike share stations, accompanied by pictures. If you have a response or an addition, please leave it in the comments. I’ll even send an “I [BIKE] BKLYN” button to anyone who can come up with a fair criticism of bike share that doesn’t also apply to cars.

1. Bike share stations pollute the street environment with brightly colored corporate advertising.

2. Bike share stations do not belong in historic, landmark blocks, some dating back to the 19th Century.

3. Bike share stations block pedestrian access to the curb.

4. Bike share stations block pedestrian access to residential buildings.

5. Bike share stations block pedestrian right of way on the sidewalk.

6. Bike share stations make garbage collection difficult and cause trash to pile up between docks.

7. Bike share stations clutter sidewalks all in the name of promoting a private business.

8. Bike share stations are much smaller in Europe with only 10 to 20 bikes each.

9. Bike share stations will bring noise to otherwise peaceful neighborhoods.