[anderskev]

Like others I think this idea sounds great in theory, especially for cities without a dock system already in place. I'm pretty confused about NYC encouraging this though given the obviously downfalls. One of the few things I actually dislike about living here is the complete disregard for public spaces/services. There are many reasons for it, but I can't imagine how bad this will get if New Yorkers and our tourists treat these bicycles with the same care they treat the subways/buses/parks/sidewalks, etc. I imagine pretty much every major tourist destination that's an open space will be completely filled with discarded bicycles from May to November each year. Not to mention the burden this will put on the already overcrowded Manhattan sidewalks.

A few years ago when Citi bike started I remember it being pretty sparse, and I could have seen the benefit of dockless programs to encourage faster expansion. At this point they are everywhere, except farther out areas of Brooklyn and Queens where many people have cars and likely wouldn't use them. Citi bike seems (to me) to bring all the benefits of a dockless system without any of the downsides. Granted the price is higher, but it's still cheaper than the subway if you buy the membership, and for tourists if they are here for 3+ days and get the $24 pass.