SAN DIEGO, Calif. (FOX5/KUSI) — Years after shared bikes largely disappeared from San Diego streets, the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition is pushing to bring bike share back — this time with a regional network of docked e-bikes.
The coalition has made establishing a regional bike share system its top strategic priority, arguing it could help increase bicycle use, connect people to public transit and support climate and public health goals.
The proposal would focus initially on docked e-bikes rather than scooters, according to the coalition. Riders would be able to pick up a bicycle from one docking station and return it to another within the system.
Coalition leaders say bike share could provide a lower-cost and lower-commitment way for people to try cycling without having to purchase, maintain, store or secure their own bicycle.
It could also help address what transportation planners call the “first and last mile” the distance between a person’s starting point or destination and a public transit stop.
The effort comes years after San Diego experienced a rapid expansion of shared bikes and scooters.
San Diego’s first large-scale docked bike share system launched in 2014 with DecoBike. But beginning in 2018, the city also saw an influx of dockless bicycles and electric scooters from several competing companies.
At one point, thousands of shared devices were operating throughout the city. Complaints about scooters and bikes blocking sidewalks, improper parking and other issues eventually contributed to increased regulation.
The original docked bike share program also struggled and ultimately ended years earlier than initially planned.
The Bicycle Coalition believes a new system can learn from those problems.
Rather than having numerous companies competing with separate fleets, the coalition’s current vision calls for one operator overseeing a coordinated regional system.
No company has been selected to operate the proposed bike share program.
The coalition says the project is still in the planning and coalition-building stage. If regional agencies and local governments support the concept, the next steps could include developing a request for proposals, allowing potential operators to compete for the contract.
The coalition has worked with San Diego State University to examine potential bike share scenarios and map out how a regional system could operate.
It is also seeking cooperation from regional transportation agencies, including SANDAG, the Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District, as well as individual cities that would need to approve locations for docking stations.
Supporters say a regional approach is important because riders would not necessarily stop at city boundaries.
Safety is also part of the discussion. The coalition says the proposed system would be limited to adults 18 and older and would use heavier e-bikes designed for shared use rather than high-speed riding.
The organization says bike share could also benefit San Diego’s tourism and convention industries by giving visitors another transportation option without requiring them to bring or rent a traditional bicycle for an entire day.
The coalition’s next major step will be gathering public support.
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