Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Podcast

Talking Headways Podcast: Annual Predictions With Yonah Freemark

The arrival of dockless bike-share is changing the cycling landscape in some American cities. Dallas, for instance, may not be known for its bikeability, but it now has thousands of public bicycles available at very low cost.

With the rapid expansion of these systems have come the inevitable complaints. Some are at least understandable -- sloppily parked bikes can obstruct sidewalks. But Kristen Jeffers at Greater Greater Washington says a lot of the animosity toward dockless bike-share in D.C. is just thinly veiled racism directed at the people riding the bikes:

Dockless bikeshares seem especially popular with teenagers in DC -- as a recent CityLab article pointed out, with black boys in particular. (It’s worth noting that the companies do not collect this type of demographic data about their users.) There’s been a lot of Twitter and comment speculation about whether many of these dockless bikes are stolen -- though there’s no proof of that.

The Twitter and comment grumblings came to a head the other week on a Georgetown listserv, when a disgruntled resident urged neighbors to call the police to report dockless bikeshare users merely for riding down the street.

“Provide a physical description of the rider, color of the bike, direction of travel, and state the assailant suspect is ‘acting suspicious,’” the post read.

Then a Petworth ANC commissioner (ANC 4A02) released a complaint about “unsightly presence in unusual locations,” “criminal elements that result from [the bicycles’] presence and locations,” and hand-wringing over the “ease of movement/escape from watchful eyes and law enforcement” -- a dog whistle if I’ve ever heard one.

More recommended reading today: KUOW says parking policy is one of Seattle's most important tools in the fight against climate change. And the Huffington Post looks at the terrible public health impacts of the highways rammed through a historically black neighborhood in Orlando.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

Friday’s Headlines

Lawmakers threaten CARB over delay on corporate emissions reporting penalties; SFMTA head Tumlin to resign; A community organizes against a warehouse, and gains more; The urban-rural divide is not geographic; More

December 13, 2024

Climate Actions for State Agencies: Public Comment Period Closing Today

California's Climate Action Plan for Transportation Investment (CAPTI) keeps facing pushback from people who just want more roads.

December 13, 2024

Friday Video: A Deep Dive on Toronto’s Ridiculous New Anti-Bike Lane Law

"This selfish, entitled surbanite is willing to let people die for the hope of shaving a few minutes off of his commute."

December 13, 2024

Commentary: SFMTA Board Weakness Nearly Killed Another Family

The same basic failures that let a family get killed just happened again, in the same neighborhood. SFMTA's abdication of their responsibility to act independently is a primary factor in perpetuating this deadly situation

December 13, 2024

Talking Headways Podcast: Bulk Transit Passes for All

Jawnt's Ruth Miller on how employer transit pass programs like SEPTA's work to support employees, agencies and regions overall.

December 13, 2024
See all posts