Bike Sharing Programs in Cities
Many cities all across the globe are adopting bike-sharing programs as a reliable mean of transport over a short distance. It is a thriving business in the US, and business people are more than willing to invest in it (Lee, J 2013). Bike riding is considered the most suitable when meandering along with the city if a commuter wants to avoid the burden of multiple bus transfers, costly taxi charges, and the risk of sole feet from walking (El-Assi et al, 2017). However, there are numerous factors to consider for a city to decide whether or not to develop a bike-sharing program.
A midsized city, for example, should consider the size and effect of traffic jam along with the city (Lee, J 2013). If a lot of time is wasted along the road due to traffic jam, the bike sharing program can be adopted. Another factor to consider before investing in a bike sharing program is the impact of weather variables in the city (El-Assi et al, 2017). Cold temperatures, too much rain, and high humidity do not attract bike transport due to health problems associated with the conditions. Population density of the city is another factor to be considered since the programs are most likely to thrive in a town with optimum populated (El-Assi et al, 2017). Lastly, social demographic factors should be regarded as since the white and middle-aged riders are those who predominantly use the bicycle share system.
Developing a bike sharing program in a midsized city will help improve the transport network and open up the city for growth. This is because the infrastructure in the midsized town is bicycle-specific with off-street bike paths and cycle tracks which separate bicycles from motor vehicles hence providing the most safety benefits for cyclists (El-Assi et al, 2017). There will be rare cases of bicycle injury in the city since because they are in separate routes with motor vehicles. Also, the population in the town is not dense, and human trafficking is reduced, which further increases safety on roads.
El-Assi, et al. (2017) article provides stronger information about bicycling, and from it, most issued to be considered for a bike cycling program are discussed (El-Assi et al, 2017) It touches on established behavior and routines for bike user and their experiences. In the article is discussed different surveys undertaken to study the requirements for developing a bike sharing program in a city (El-Assi et al, 2017). The section provides different and most crucial information, ranging from sociodemographic and ridership characteristics to Socio-demographic factors.
In conclusion, bike sharing programs are penetrating many mid-sized cities over the last decade and are gaining popularity at a higher rate. The federal government should see on how to license the bicycle users and provide insurance cover which will cater for medical expenses in case of an accident.