Bike share programs have been popular and successful overseas for some time now but only recently have they been cropping up around this country, landing in large, urban markets and bringing non-motorized transportation to millions. The prime example of this has been Capital Bikeshare, the bike sharing program in Washington, D.C. that has been widely used by residents and tourists alike seeking another way to get around town without the expense of a taxi, inconvenience of a car, or limitations of public transit.
Yet as bike accident lawyers in Arizona and across the nation know, Washington D.C., once the outlier in this segment, is starting to become the norm. In fact, Denver, Colorado was the first large city to install a bike share program back in April of 2010. Since then, bike shares have put down roots in New York City, Chicago, Miami Beach, Boulder, Boston, Minneapolis, Columbus, and Salt Lake City, to name a few. This list is growing every year and come 2014, Phoenix will add its name to the metropolitan areas offering bike shares.
Before you can understand the implications of a Phoenix bike share program, it is important to grasp the basic concepts of what a bike share program is and how it functions. In its simplest terms, a bike share program is a group of bicycles available for public rental, either by the hour, day, week, or year, depending on where you live and what subscription you use. The bikes are generally found at unmanned docking stations that also serve to “lock” the bikes when not in use, preventing theft or damage to the equipment. Anyone who wants to rent a bicycle can do so through the use of a debit or credit card and can ride the bike as they please until they no longer need it, returning it to the same docking station it was found or to any other participating docking station. The check-out time and check-in time are used to calculate any charges which are billed to the card on file.
Phoenix’s bike share program is set to function in a similar fashion. Named Grid Bike Share, the bikes will initially be present in Phoenix and will then expand to offer locations in Mesa and Tempe as well. The bikes can be located and rented using a smart phone app or by going online to the bike share’s website once the program officially begins. By spring of 2014, approximately 1,000 bikes should be available for rental at $5 per hour, $30 per month, or $79 dollars per year.
Bicycling as a means of transportation has been becoming much more popular in recent years with thousands nationally engaging in the activity while they commute. Yet with increased bicycles and increased ridership comes an increase in bicycle-related accidents, often involving motor vehicles. When a car, truck, or van strikes a bicycle, the bicycle almost always suffers the majority of the damage and nearly all such collisions cause injuries to the rider.
If you have been the victim of a bicycle accident, call the Phoenix bicycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today for a free consultation regarding your rights and your legal options. We have a lawyer standing by 24 hours a day to take your call at (602) 819-5191 or toll free at (855) 529-2442 and there is no obligation on your part for taking advantage of our free consultation. After an accident, make sure you protect your rights by calling us and letting us help you obtain a financial recovery you deserve.
Prior Blog Entries:
Suspected Impaired Driver Causes that Injures 5, 2 Critically, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published October 28, 2013.
Driver Sentenced to 7 Years for Hit-And-Run that Killed Chandler Boy, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published October 22, 2013.
Resources:
City of Phoenix unveils new bike share program, Fox 10 News, published October 28, 2013.