In the latest effort to promote “the health and wellness of our community and environmental sustainability”— as UNCG vice chancellor for business affairs Charles Maimone put it — Lime Bikes are showing up all over Greensboro. UNCG, N.C A&T and the City of Greensboro are participating in Lime Bike’s bike share program:
Most bike share programs require customers to pick up and drop off bikes at designated bike racks, where they are locked between rides.
LimeBike bikes have their own locks and can be picked up and dropped off anywhere. (The company would prefer that riders park them at a bike rack, thank you very much.) UNCG has designated six areas around campus as hubs where bikes will be. The company will hire people to retrieve the GPS-equipped bikes from far-flung places and return them to the hubs.
If that’s their business model that’s fine, I reckon. Just seems odd to see LimeBikes ditched all over the place—in the middle of parking lots, along the greenway, on the side of the dangerous blind curve where Market Street and Friendly Avenue split (pity the poor guy/gal who has to load a bike up there and–last but not least–my neighbor’s house.
Sustainability advocates talk a lot about our responsibility in preserving the environment. I’d like to think they’d take on a little responsibility and get their LimeBikes back to a designated rack.
