need to be docked in between rides, they’re more likely to serve parts of Milwaukee that don’t have a Bublr station.
“Bublr Bikes doesn’t serve the areas of the city that need transportation the most,” Cordio says. He believes government funding should support “bike infrastructure, not delivering a [bike-sharing] service, especially when there are well-funded companies that are providing probably a superior experience and solution to that of a dock bike-share program.”
Juli Kaufmann, who is part of Bublr’s team, responded to a similar critique Cordio made earlier this month on Twitter. Kaufmann tweeted: “Bublr is a local nonprofit with a sustainable financial model. It is a reliable, well-maintained, coordinated, year-round element of our multi-modal transportation system and committed to access for all.”
Bublr is a local nonprofit with a sustainable financial model. It is a reliable, well-maintained, coordinated, year-round element of our multi-modal transportation system and committed to access for all. Twitter is a challenging medium to debate merits.
— Juli Kaufmann (@julikaufmann) June 9, 2018
People in cities where LimeBike and Bird operate who want to start using one of the services first download a mobile app that shows a map with the nearest bikes or scooters available for rental. After a user enters personal and credit card information, she uses the app to unlock her desired vehicle, then gets moving. Both Bird and LimeBike encourage riders to park their vehicles near bike racks, and to avoid stationing them where they block public pathways. After reaching one’s destination, the rider uses her smartphone to lock the bike or scooter.
Samonas, the spokesman for Bird, says the company closely monitors the supply of—and demand for—its vehicles in a particular city. Under Bird’s “Save our Sidewalks” pledge, the company only deploys more scooters when every scooter in circulation is being ridden at least three times per day, on average. It also says it will “remove unutilized vehicles,” without specifying the exact criteria for taking scooters off the streets.
