If you see rows of identical bicycles neatly lined up in a city near you, it’s unlikely that everyone fell in love with the same design. Rather, the region likely has a bike-share program, and you can take advantage of it. What are the benefits of bike sharing for the environment? Here’s what to know.
What is bike sharing?
Bike sharing programs operate when cities create docks for available bicycles that users access via an app for a certain fee. People can use the bike for errands or exercise, returning it to a similar docking location when finished. These programs provide a valuable public transportation alternative in conjunction with other solutions, such as buses, subways or light rail.
How bike sharing works in these 2 cities
In New York City the CitiBike program allows you to buy a daily or weekly pass at a kiosk or book a 24 to 72-hour reservation via the app. You can also purchase an annual membership, which provides you with a key to make unlimited 45-minute trips. The timer resets when you place the key in the dock at any CitiBike kiosk when you need to use the bike for longer. The city also provides pedal-assist electric bikes for an additional fee.
Phoenix recently piloted a program allowing e-bike, e-scooter and bicycle rentals. Riders can pick up one of these micro-mobility devices from 150 locations around the city, although the built-in smart lock lets them secure it to any vertical surface. In an innovative twist, riders have to pass a reaction test through the vendor apps to rent between 11pm and 5am to reduce the risk of DUI.
Bike sharing advantages
Bike sharing offers a host of advantages. It’s a unique approach to public transportation that permits greater individual autonomy over where and how to travel. This solution empowers individuals, allowing them freedom of choice in selecting the best way to get from here to there in the most healthy, sustainable manner.
For example, someone with business on the other side of town might hop on high-speed light rail to traverse the main part of their journey quickly, then rent an e-bike upon departing the train to reach their ultimate destination. Alternatively, some residents might grab an e-bike from a dock near their front door to run nearby errands. Such solutions are especially handy for folks who have cold symptoms and want to protect others by avoiding sharing enclosed spaces with strangers.
Biking is a healthy way to commute. Even e-bikes burn calories as you must work your core to remain balanced and operate the pedal assist. Furthermore, commuting this way gets you more time outside, which has multiple advantages for your physical and mental health.
4 benefits of bike sharing for the environment
Bike sharing is also a huge plus for eco-friendliness. Here are four benefits of bike sharing for the environment.
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Reduces emissions
Transportation remains the largest single contributor toward greenhouse gas emissions, but bikes and e-bikes produce none. Charging e-bikes with solar power at docking stations further reduces fossil fuel dependency.
The average passenger vehicle emits 400 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. Your CO2 per mile on a bike or e-bike is zero. Each time you choose bike sharing over driving, you benefit the environment.
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Encourages mixed-use urban design
Why don’t more people commute by bicycle? If you ask those who love to bike, it’s because city landscapes weren’t designed for safe pedestrian travel. Many urban and even rural environments lack bike lanes, which can lead to accidents. In America, the resulting medical bills and impact on your working ability can also devastate your finances.
However, bike share programs force urban planners to consider safety in design. Supporting and expanding such programs encourages healthier pedestrian commuting solutions overall. When more people feel safe commuting by foot, they will as America’s car-centric culture is devastating to mental and physical health.
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Promotes healthy outdoor play and environmental stewardship
Various studies show that children who spend time outdoors are more likely to become good environmental stewards as adults. However, for many urban youths, getting outside is hard to do.
Encouraging better urban design through bike share programs helps children who may have few other means to explore the outdoors. Parks provide places to play, but if getting there means crossing dangerous traffic, kids can’t make optimal use of such spaces. They must rely on parents who may be busy working to take them. Bike share programs encourage the creation of safe routes, which children and other people can use to connect with nature.
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Lowers noise pollution
Traffic creates a lot of noise. It isn’t only the constant rumble of passing cars that creates the characteristic unending urban din but also the need to shout over vehicular sounds so people can hear you. The result is a “city that never sleeps” but a lack of rest is unhealthy for us humans.
On the other hand, bicycles are silent. That’s why they need bells to alert passersby when you approach them from behind. Could you imagine what New York would be like if everyone commuted by bike? While such a development is impractical, it would also be much quieter.
Bike sharing advantages for the environment
Bike sharing offers multiple advantages for human health. Combining these with the environmental benefits creates a win-win scenario that could improve the lives of countless individuals. Cities and municipalities that implement such programs are more desirable, attractive, cleaner and healthier places to call home.
Author Bio:
Beth Rush is the green wellness and travel editor at Body+Mind. She writes about sustainable transit, sustainable healthcare and plant-based recipes. She also has quite the green thumb! You can find Beth on Twitter @bodymindmag.
Top image by Pablo Valerio from Pixabay
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