Kyle
I’ve been to the Google campus quite a bit over the years. One of the coolest things about the campus of the all mighty Google is their bike share program. I don’t even know if you could call it a program. There are Google colored bicycles all over the campus and you just pick one up and ride it to your next destination. The next person that wants to use the bicycle just picks it up and goes.
Unfortunately, our average American culture doesn’t allow it to be that easy outside a place like the Google Campus. Sure if we were in Switzerland perhaps or some other country we may just be able to have a municipality provide bikes and pick them up and drop them off at our leisure and convenience.
That’s why cities all over the country offer bike share programs. Most cities right now are using the first or possibly second generation of bike sharing technology. In that instance there are a bunch of bikes at a bike rack. To unlock the bike you either call, text or use an app to get a pin that unlocks the bike. It’s reminiscent of your days at school and picking up a bike from a crowded bike rack.
The technology is great. Take Washington DC for instance, bike docks and kiosks are strategically placed around the city and people can execute the bike rental. After they enter their payment information and get the “code” they unlock the bike, use it and they can return the bike at any other like kiosk/dock throughout the city.
More after the break
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