DDOT Considering a dockless system for Bike Share “bikes that self-lock and can be accessed via smartphone apps”

Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr.TinDC

From DDOT:

“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is exploring the potential to allow dockless bikeshare options in the District of Columbia and invites the public to comment on the idea. Several private dockless bikeshare companies have expressed interest in operating in the District. As a result, DDOT is exploring a demonstration period with one or more of those companies to test this new approach.

Feedback on the demonstration period’s structure can be submitted via email to [email protected] through Friday, September 15. There will be additional opportunities to provide input throughout the demonstration period.

DDOT welcomes community feedback on the demonstration period’s terms, conditions and evaluation criteria. Specifically, the agency is interested in feedback on:

The number of bikes, both aggregate or for any participating company
Bicycle parking requirements, including geographic distribution and rebalancing
Data access and transparency
Reporting requirements, and
Safety and education of riders

The demonstration period will begin around Wednesday, September 20, and last through April 2018. During this time, DDOT will evaluate the benefits and impacts, and develop appropriate regulations for a dockless system.

Dockless bikeshare is a new approach that enables bikeshare systems to operate without physical stations. Instead, dockless systems use bikes that self-lock and can be accessed via smartphone apps. Such technology has the potential to expand the number of bikeshare bikes in the District, and to provide access in areas DDOT has not yet been able to add bikeshare infrastructure.”