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Phoenix Approves Dockless Bike-Share Program

Starting July 30, Phoenix will launch a dockless bike share program, generally allowing users to leave bikes anywhere after they’re done riding them, but Phoenix has also set limits.

Councilman Sal DiCiccio said his district has been inundated with dockless bikes from Scottsdale.

“We would not even be here today if people exhibited personal responsibility, taking personal responsibility for their own actions and taking care of the bikes,” he said.

Users must park bikes upright and keep four feet of space for pedestrians to get by. Bikes cannot be parked within ten feet of entrances and exits, at the intersection of sidewalks, transit zones or loading zones. The program requires companies post contact information on each bike so people can report violations. Companies that fail to remove bikes could be fined $80 for each one the city has to move.

Councilwoman Laura Pastor, who pushed for the rules, cited numbers from Seattle.

“It shows that 10 percent of the free roaming dockless bikes are placed in places that completely block pedestrian traffic," she said. "And more than 10 percent of the dockless bikes have been rendered as unrideable.”

During Thursday’s council meeting she got most of her colleagues to support an amendment requiring companies to have technology that allows users to lock bikes to physical objects by Feb. 1. The program also calls for city staff to study data from the first six months to determine where designated parking areas need to be established.

As a senior field correspondent, Christina Estes focuses on stories that impact our economy, your wallet and public policy.