Bike share has finally arrived in Newton! Read more about it — and watch Mayor Fuller unlock a Lime Bike — here.
Bike share arrives in Newton
by Greg Reibman | Jul 20, 2018 | Newton | 45 comments
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The map already shows quite a few LimeBikes all across Newton. Woe unto me, though, because my Invite Code (R3DRPZO) includes the letter O, which is easily confused with zero. Anyway, it gets you (and me) $3 ride credit. ;-) I predict a bunch more comments here with other Invite Codes…
@Bruce: You’re welcome.
Just rode my first one this evening from JP Licks in Newton Centre. Simple & easy to use!
I can’t understand what prevents dockless bikes from being thrown into the drink or otherwise trashed, as a number of them already have been in East Boston.
Also, say I dislike my neighbor and want to make his place look like a mess – what’s to stop me from leaving my used bikes scattered on or near his front yard or driveway when I’m done with them?
(Asking for a friend – I love my neighbor)
Michael
The only thing stopping you from leaving the bike in the neighbors would be your own common decency :)
I believe they have a crew of people to tidy up bikes in odd locations over time
Here on the North side the bikes are common. I saw a teenager
ride his bike out into an intersection against the red light he put up his hand and forced the traffic to stop for him.
The bikes are left in the middle of sidewalks too. The concept is a good one for recreation. The bikes need to be left somewhere but should not become an eyesore.
@Colleen: Great anecdote. Here on the south side, I tried to cross the street in a crosswalk where state law requires that motorists stop, but not a single motorist stopped for me.
Hey why not – who doesn’t want garish eyesores strewn all around town?
Check out the horrendous parkedmess of bike sharing in China. Are people that selfish?
https://www.theatlantic.com/amp/photo/556268/
I hope the *-hole count in newton is not high enough to cause such a mess on the streets and parks
In theory this is a great idea….but the “leave the bike anywhere” issue is a problem. Like others have mentioned, what stops anyone from dumping it in a yard or just leaving it on the sidewalk blocking the walkway. I see that it says to call “Customer Service” however the number listed is not CS, it’s the Police Station business line. I’m not sure the Dispatchers want to be taking calls about Limebikes left everywhere. It’s just my opinion but there should be docking stations for picking up and dropping bikes off. These stations could easily be placed in the village squares, in park areas, near the river paths, etc. This would cut down on the “leave them anywhere” problem. It’s all well and good to think people will be courteous and do the right thing….sadly, I’m not convinced.
TheWholeTruth,
Typical of high growth tech companies to try and skirt established rules early in their growth stage (uber, Airbnb, amazon with sales tax, facebook with privacy).
I hope the contact the City signed has a clause to shut them down if it turns into a mess. Since the bikes have GPS, its easy for limebike to charge riders for bad drop-offs.
@Bugek – the Achilles Pedal of dockless bikeshare is the poor bike’s total and complete vulnerability after use. The GPS only shows where the metered trip ended. After the ride is over, the bike is no longer on the rider’s clock. At that point the rider or anyone else who comes along can then toss it down the Finlay Fishway if they’re so inclined.
Overall, dockless bike share seems to me to be a really bad idea – I wish Metrowest had gone with a more reliable system, preferably Hubway which would’ve offered the ability to ride directly into Brookline and Boston.
In Los Angeles, it seems as though 90 percent of the LimeBike fleet now consists of motorized scooters which people use on the sidewalks. Their prices are higher and the company seems to be pushing them a lot since they’re more profitable. I suspect we’ll soon see the silly things in Newton.
Correction – Instead of “The GPS only shows where the metered trip ended” I meant to say that the GPS only holds the renter accountable until the end of the metered trip (and after that, the bike is on its own).
Shared bikes that dock, like Hubway, have some advantages over the dockless kind.
The consumer always knows where some will be – at a dock station. The app shows how many bikes are there – the lime app shows where the bikes are but they could be scattered anywhere. This is particularly a problem if more than one bike is needed.
The dock stations are generally available in walking distance of several places. The dockless bikes could be anywhere.
Shared bikes that dock are much cheaper to use.
These “last mile” systems are perfect for places like Newton that have clusters of transit and walkable centers that are spread out and not well connected by public transit.
I’d like to see us get the Bird electric scooters. They just popped up in Cambridge. Maybe faster and easier than bikes.
I don’t think Newton has the tourism/density to create the disasters of discarded vehicles you see in downtown SF or Beijing.
The city did look into a docked option, including working with Blue Bikes (formerly Hubway). Keep in mind that Nicole Freedman, who now works for Newton, is the person who created the program in Boston. So she knows quite a bit about the systems.
There were a few problems with this model, the first being density. Newton is a much lower density than Boston, meaning it would take a lot of stations to make those bikes convenient for most users. In the suburbs, people may want to use the bikes to ride home, but then they’d have to leave them at a station that could be a mile or so from their house. That isn’t all that convenient.
This means we would need more stations, which comes to the second issue: cost. Each station is more than $100k and requires substantial sponsorship to make it work. Newton (and many other suburbs) don’t have the local commercial base to support that kind of advertising dollars.
The dockless systems offered a system that works at a lower density while also solving the cost issue.
All that said, last night I got off the T in Newton Centre and found a LimeBike (through the app) in a nearby neighborhood. I walked to it, but it wouldn’t unlock. The app just told me “it can’t be unlocked at this time.” I don’t know if that had to do with timing, location or some other factor.
Keep in mind this is a new program and it won’t be perfect out of the gate. We will need to see how it’s executed over time.
@Chuck, I agree that from a convenience standpoint in the suburbs (especially in residential areas), the dockless bikes cannot be beat. It’s pretty amazing that you be walking along in some random place, find one, and then pedal it directly to your front door and then just leave it there – you definitely can’t do that with Hubway.
Also, one problem with the docking bike systems, which I can attest to firsthand from having to deal with it at our condo in Montreal, is that when one gets installed in front of your house, it makes A LOT of racket – the docking mechanism is designed to force you to really slam the bike into the dock to make sure that it’s locked, so in Montreal if you live near a Bixi station, you end up hearing about an hour’s worth of crunk, crunk, crunk between 3am and 4am after the bars close. I don’t imagine that Newtonites would be too eager to have to put up with that.
@Yuppie Scum, we bike a lot on the bike path in LAX from Redondo to Santa Monica, and ever since the Lime and Bird scooters started showing up, we’ve seen a scooter accident almost every time we’ve gone for a ride. A manual scooter is dangerous enough, but a motorized scooter is basically suicidal, IMHO.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-abcarian-bird-scourge-20180706-story.html
Whoops, html tags are dangerous in the hands of the wrong person. Sorry – I meant to only italicize “clunk clunk clunk” and “motorized.”
Looking forward to giving these a try. App loaded and ready.
Did folks catch this Atlantic article? Striking photography and striking situation…
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2018/03/bike-share-oversupply-in-china-huge-piles-of-abandoned-and-broken-bicycles/556268/
@Michael- if someone doesnt like their neighbor and has anti-social tendencies there’s a 100 other horrible things they could do. I’m not sure what’s unique about a dockless bike in that regard.
@Jerry, that’s certainly true, but I think it’s unique that we’re going to have hundreds of large objects that can be left lying around literally anywhere the riders want to leave them, and which aren’t locked down so they can then be moved or trashed in any way that vandals see fit.
I love bikes, I love bike sharing because it lets users walk or take public transit in one direction and then cycle back in the other, and I love anything that reduces dependency on automobiles, so I’m extremely pleased that Newton finally has a bikesharing system, but from a practical standpoint I see problems in giving a private company carte blanche to have its products be strewn around anywhere in town.
Tried Lime this weekend. Walked to a bike parked in a nearby neighborhood and took it for a ride along with my kids down the Upper Falls Greenway to enjoy the art exhibit. Topped it off by conveniently parking it right in front of my house when I was done. Easy peasy and fun. I think this is a great perk! The only drawback I could see is that Boston and Cambridge don’t participate so it can’t really be used for work commuting downtown.
“that’s certainly true, but I think it’s unique that we’re going to have hundreds of large objects that can be left lying around literally anywhere the riders want to leave them, and which aren’t locked down so they can then be moved or trashed in any way that vandals see fit.” – Cars have been allowed in Newton for at least a century
“Cars have been allowed in Newton for at least a century ” – I appreciate your having taken the time to enlighten me on that.
But last I checked, cars couldn’t be left lying around literally anywhere the drivers want to leave them, and they were locked to prevent them from being moved. So I don’t think cars fit the bill in the unique way that LimeBikes do. FWIW, not even regular bikes can be left lying around literally anywhere, and regular bikes are generally locked down to prevent them from being moved. The only similar thing I could think of is maybe flowerpots? But then again you can’t legally leave a flowerpot in the middle of the sidewalk, or on a baseball diamond, or on a trail in Cold Spring Park. Yes, I’m convinced that dockless bikesharing bikes are indeed unique!
I saw a truck dropping off the Lime bikes today. In the Highlands I saw bikes placed in 4 different locations within a block of each other (1 in front of Fleck, one set of 4 or 5 by the bus stop near Fleck, another set across from Fleck, and another set in front of the former Broken Grounds). Not sure what they had to do that. I found it a bit annoying on my walk. They aren’t even being used yet they are already all over the place.
It’s fantastic that Lime Bikes are here in Newton. I’ve used them and it would be great to see more bikes readily available near T stops. Really, anything that makes it easier for people to use a bike here in Newton is a good thing. If more people are using bikes, even in haphazard ways, that is an improvement. Better bike accommodations will follow. There are cars e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. People do also park them on sidewalks. People drive them frequently with phones in front of their eyes. They (cars, and their drivers) are dangerous. Pedestrians crossing Centre or Beacon Streets in Newton Centre, even with well-marked crosswalks, face risks. Bikes being left about in random places is not that big of a deal compared to the benefits.
There were A LOT of Lime Bikes in Newton Centre this morning. I’m struggling to understand who will use them. Avid cyclists have bikes. I live a few blocks from NC and if I wanted to take a quick trip to CVS I might be interested it using one. But the chance that there would be one sitting outside my house is slim to none. By the time I walked the few blocks to get one I’d be 3/4ths of the way to CVS. I may be wrong, but I just don’t think Newton is urban enough for the concept to really be viable on any scale in Newton. Maybe I will be proven wrong
I’m happy to see this. I wanted a bike for years but we never had the room to store a bike because our tiny house has no garage and it’s a very old house with difficult basement access. I know a lot of other people who live in condos or apartments with limited space to store a bike in spite of the fact that they want one. So I think there there is more use for these bikes than people think.
I like the dockless idea in theory, but I feel like a lot of parts of Newton don’t have a good place to park them. Our sidewalks are pretty narrow and I’m seeing some parked bikes blocking part of the sidewalk. Hopefully people begin to be more mindful of where they park their bikes.
Anyway, I look forward to taking one for a spin soon.
My helmet saved my life when i was forced to crash my bike and smacked my head on the road, because a non-signaling right-turning car cut me off. Does Lime Bikes provide helmets for it’s customers?
Alex touches on my only concern about the Lime Bikes. Are educational materials about bike riding in a fairly urban area provided to riders? People who own bikes know the rules of the road. People who don’t own bikes and aren’t regular bikers are more likely to be the population who’ll use LB’s. Wouldn’t it be be in all travelers’ (drivers, bikers, pedestrians) best interest to have a common understanding of the rules of the road to avoid accidents?
@Claire, it takes just one outbound trip on a Lime Bike from Newton Centre to your home in order to have one ready for your use …unless your neighbor wants to use it. If s/he does, then there’s a good chance that another Lime Bike will come back your way soon. Today I picked one up in Needham (out of the Lime Bike service area, but there it was) and now it’s on the berm in front of my house. I think these bikes will get scattered throughout Newton…but only if the business model proves successful.
@Alex, Lime Bike do not come with helmets, but I think they should. It’s a big problem because people generally don’t carry helmets with them. I think the company should provide them. If not, then perhaps local businesses could put garish advertising on helmets and leave them with bikes. No one would steal them if they’re garish enough, and it would be a great service.
I have mixed feelings about them. Yes, it’s great to see bikes available around Newton. But the group of 4 dropped off outside Whole Foods in Four Corners were perpendicular to the curb, meaning they were partially blocking the sidewalk. While that may not seem like a big deal to many people, like Shawn, it’s a real problem for people in wheelchairs. The company should be told not to place its bikes obstructing the sidewalks.
Yikes! Newton Centre is awash in these lime green eyesores. They are all over the sidewalks and street corners.
I just took my first ride. Overall, it is great we are doing this.
When I first tried to unlock the bike it did not unlock correctly. It counted this as a zero minute ride. I was not charged since I have 3 free rides. Hopefully, the system knows not to charge people for zero minute rides. This is the way it works in every city where I have used bike sharing.
The geographical constraint is very limiting. Hopefully city hall can make progress in extending the range. I don’t think we need City of Boston permission. For example, retailers in Cleveland Circle, Oak Square, and Ares anal mail would likely be eager to host Lime bike parking. This would improve things dramatically.
Does anyone know what the brown paper bags in the app signify?
I took my 1st two rides this morning. A few comments:
I do think that even avid cyclists with their own bikes will consider using these quite a bit. The advantage is you don’t have to worry about bike lock, place to lock, tire pressure, flat tires, expensive bike theft, rain, rust, hauling into and out of basement, or the need to round trip each and every trip. A new bike for local errand use will run you $300+, so it can make sense to rent.
If lime bike leverages “big data” they should be able to optimized the number of bikes in the city and their locations over time. Ideally they should be mandated to have a high percentage of their bikes getting used again within 48 hours of being parked to avoid eyesore concerns. Economics should encourage them to do unless they are getting the bikes very cheap.
My main concern at this point is that the gearing on these bikes isn’t optimized for a hilly suburban landscape. They should trade the higher 3rd gear for a smaller “granny” gear that the average person can navigate up small hills. They are much harder to ride up small hills than a typical mountain/hybrid bike, which will not be popular for those hoping to arrive at their destination not drenched in sweat. I’ll reach out to see if that can be adjusted.
Parking rules…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=41&v=w9k9an64HUA
I was running errands this morning and noted that there seemed to be the same number of bikes on the same corners in Newton Center.
I saw no bikes at the Newton Highland T station or on the corners across from it on Walnut.
I also didn’t see any at the intersection of Needham Street and Winchester Street
I swung down Berwick and so no bikes anywhere around Crystal Lake (Although there might have been some at the pool). LOTS of people swimming at Cronin Cove and the other cove, but no bikes. That would seem to be a perfect place for them since there is such limited parking there.
I only encountered on person riding a lime bike
@Jeffrey, the Lime Bike support folks told me that the icons that look like brown paper bags are bonus bikes, which are free for the first 30 minutes. Perhaps the system gives them this designation in order to get them moved to other locations.
@Jack, I agree that the 3-speed gearing is not great for this terrain. It makes the bikes feel clunky and heavy.
I’m wondering what will happen with this business once winter sets in.
It appears to me that the Lime Bikes are already in use in many parts of the City. I noted several parked in front of houses this morning going to and back from Nonantum.
Two concerns. I only saw two riders actually peddling the bikes and neither was wearing a helmut. And these two were also riding on the sidewalk. I thought that wasn’t permitted in Newton.
@Bob after reading your post and talking to you about riding your bike and racing with friends on 128 it brought back many wonderful memories. I grew up in West Newton in small community we called “the village”. Most of the families that lived there were African Americans whose ancestors had settled there in the 1860’s.
Bicycles were a huge part of the lives of the kids. Although many of us could not afford a bike we were blessed by the generosity of Mr. Charles Bland a member of the community who had a number of bikes that he let us kids borrow.
We didn’t ride on 128 but we rode our bikes to various sites along the Charles River to fish and enjoy Gods creation. We sometime rode to Norbumbega Tower and enjoyed spreading the myth that the Vikings had built it.
I could go on and on talking about those wonderful days when life seemed so less complicated.
Thank you Bob for your story and for rekindling the precious memories of times gone by.
@Howard Haywood. We, too, made a lot of stops at the Norumbega Tower, but we actually believed it was built by the Vikings until someone had the sense to read the copper plaque over the entryway. I’ve thought about how I might adequately respond to what you and I talked about a few weeks back. A friend had enjoyed my article, but she wanted me to think about what the overall story would have been like if we had been 15 year old African American kids instead of Irish, Yankee, Jewish and Italian American teenagers. A fair but not a simple or easy question in terms of who we were and the strength and resilience of your “village”. I think I’m getting close to posting it. Thanks again for your comments and friendship.
Bob, I think people are allowed to ride on the sidewalks except in village centers. But someone correct me if I’m wrong! And I love hearing your stories about Newton. (And Howard’s too!)
Newton may have different rules than Boston. I know that is Boston, riding on sidewalk is not permitted
There was one single bike on our street in front of a house however it was just dropped off not ridden there as no one currently lives there and it has been there since the bikes first appeared. Saw 16 bikes on Needham st between New England Soup Factory and B.Good. They were mostly in sets of 4 and all on one side of the street (the opposite side from Landry’s.). I have only seen 3 riders…one was a pair of hs boys with no helmets and the other was a neighbor who briefly tried it and found it difficult to ride maybe for the hill reason. I would be interested to see what the data turns up after the bikes have been in use for a bit. I also wonder what happens in the winter. Maybe plows can be attached to them and they can plow the sidewalks they sit on.
I have the app and it seems that quite a few of the Lime Bikes are ending up in Boston (Fenway, Kenmore, Brighton, Back Bay, JP, Dorchester) and Brookline based upon the location icons on the map. Boston, Brookline and Cambridge has exclusive contract with Hubway/Blue bike.
When I accessed the app, i got a little popup warning not to take the bike out of the service area because there may not be a bike available for the return