In case you missed the news, Philadelphia is considering supplementing the Indego bike share system with what other cities are calling “dockless bike sharing.” Dockless bike sharing is exactly what it sounds like – a network of bicycles that do not have a set “home,” (the back wheel locks when the bike is not in use) and can be used to travel freely to locations where Indego currently doesn’t operate. To understand the specifics of the movement and how other cities have implemented it, check out this article.

Dockless biking offers plenty of pros for our region. For example, there are a number of areas in the city that don’t have the full benefits of Indego, such as South Philadelphia, Grays Ferry and large portions of North Philadelphia. With this program, people located in these communities could much more easily enjoy the benefits of multimodal transportation and endless recreational opportunities throughout the Circuit Trails network! And though it’s not clear yet, if the system allows for travel between New Jersey and Philadelphia, accessing trails across the river could be even easier.

Even with its perks, a dockless bike system might have you scratching your head a bit – and that’s okay! In fact, our friends at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia penned a blog about their own questions and hopes for any program that might come to the region. Like the Bicycle Coalition, we are “all in” for any program that will not only improve accessibility on the Circuit Trails, but will also make it easier for those who don’t currently cycle to have the ability to hop on a bike and ride it wherever they please.

In the nation’s capital – one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country – a seven-month dockless biking trial period saw 56,477 trips taken in a single month, and both bike advocates and riders across the city noticed the changing demographics of bicyclists over the course of the period.

What do you think? Are you in favor of the program? Let’s chat about it on our social outlets – we’re interested to hear your thoughts!