RSS

Doogooder Seattle: Bikes

Seattle BikesChristopher Goodwin  FACEBOOK

The mayors 2016 budget includes $5 million to expand Seattle’s bankrupt and unused Pronto bike rental program after buying it for $1.4 million. Bike Blog author Focoloro says “we should repeal the helmet law if we really want this to work” right after he says how dangerous it is to ride “elbow to elbow with cars”.

This same system has failed miserably in the oft touted bicycle paradise of Copenhagen, failed in NYC, failed in San Francisco and in fact the only places it has not failed are places where it is subsidized by the city. I Paris they have a fleet of vans to collect and redistribute the bikes.

In Seattle’s system if you become a member you get unlimited 30 minute trips. Well that’s great, where can you go in Seattle in 30 minutes? There are stations in the UW, South Lake Union (The Amazon) and downtown, but it would take you about 30 minutes to get between them and I challenge anyone of average fitness to pile one of those tractors up 23rd from Montlake to Capitol Hill, or from Downtown up the hill, maybe from pioneer square to Madrona or Leschi – ooops no stations there…

$400 million in bike paths no one uses and now another 6.4 into a tractor rental program no one uses. Bicycle use is actually down in Seattle. Down 2% from last year, looks like the shine has worn off that penny for many of the recent tech refugees we welcomed so avidly. Maybe they noticed that it rains a lot here and the city is built on hills…


Comments are closed.