Originally Posted by
wipekitty
I like the idea in theory, but in practice, I'm skeptical that it will convert people into bike commuters - and I doubt it will appeal to those who are already riding.
Personally, I'd find a situation like this more appealing if I could choose my own bike (but then again, I already ride, so perhaps I'm not the target audience). I know nothing about this part of Baltimore or parking costs, but there's another thing that developers sometimes forget: people without cars in areas with high-cost parking can already benefit by leasing/selling their parking spaces. (I knew of some people in downtown Denver who did precisely that: bought a condo, ditched the car, and sold off the parking space for as much as $40K.)
gonna tell my own story. So I had casually considered biking more but I was afraid and didn’t have a bike. I ended up winning a bike in a raffle. It was a city cruiser style. When I went to pick it up the shop was super helpful getting me hooked up with the right resource and making recommendations for gear. I got a rack on pick up day. I started biking on short trips.
1 or 2 months later I got a basket (more money for the shop), a couple months later I traded up to a leather saddle. Then I got lights. I started biking anywhere within 3 miles or so.
Fast forward a year or so and I added a dynamo hub. I got involved in bike advocacy too.
And 18 months later I traded up to a better bike. And traded the bulk of my car trips for bike trips. All because of a free bike.
Sometimes people need a nudge. I imagine people who sign the lease there vs all the other options were already bike-curious.