Bike sharing: Difference between revisions

[[File:Transportation201302boston hubway dock 1-600x375.jpg|right|Transportation201302bostonBoston's hubwayHubway dockBikeshare 1-600x375.jpgbicycles]]The term " '''bike sharing" ''' is applied to short-term bicycle rental schemes that allow persons to collect, use and drop off bicycles within a given service area (commonly a city, but may also be a more limited zone, as in a university or corporate campus). The traditional bike sharing model locates bicycles at specified, purpose-built points within a designated zone from which users can rent and return them.

Bike sharing has its inception in the 1960s, but was hampered in its growth by problems related to not being able to gain real-time information about the bicycle network, track the bikes and properly secure them. In the present, these difficulties have been overcome by technology. Bicycle sharing networks can now be monitored in real-time, individual bicycles can be electronically tracked and can even be remotely secured.

The 2000s have seen a boom in bike sharing due to its relatively low costs compared to other transportation infrastructure, a push towards "green" cities, and through the support of regional and municipal governments and academic institutions. In 2004, only 11 cities had embraced bike sharing. That number has since mushroomed with more than 1,000 public bicycle rental schemes of various kinds running in 50 countries across five continents at this writing (2017). In additionthe toUnited public and mixed public and private bike sharing programsStates, thereof hasits beenlarge anurban uptick in private businessesareas, includingonly severalDetroit start-ups, entering theand arenaSt. BikeLouis sharing is especially widespread in Asia and in China in particular, where a singlelack bike sharing system can encompass as many as 200,000 bicyclesservices.