New York, Washington, Boston, and other cities across the country have launched bike-share programs as sustainable transportation alternatives that have a number of benefits, such as easing traffic congestion, cut carbon emissions, and also improve public health.
Cyclists in those cities, meanwhile, have embraced bike-sharing to make their commutes faster, cheaper, and more fun. Last year, U.S. bike-share riders completed nearly 46 million trips—more than twice as many trips from the previous year.
Despite the popularity and the advantages of these programs, however, there are still significant operational challenges that remain.
Take, for instance, the distribution of bikes. Because of commuting patterns, residential neighborhoods face shortages of bicycles in the morning rush, while business districts have a dearth of bikes in the evening. What’s more, parking docks can be full at certain hours, making it difficult for riders to return the bikes once they’ve reached their destinations.
How do we, then, make the system more efficient?
More details about this over at Scientific American.
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