Bike-Share Services Look Like They’re Coming To Portland This Summer
If you've visited other major cities across the United States, there's something you've probably seen there that you haven't seen in Portland, a bike-share service. Bike-sharing has become extremely popular with tourists in recent years, allowing city-wide exploration while maintaining a chance to see "everything" along the way. The City of Portland is ready to allow those services to operate, perhaps as soon as this spring/summer.
According to The Forecaster, it is widely expected that the city council will approve operations for bike-sharing companies within city limits starting this year. The bike-sharing operations are likely to be "station-less", meaning users of the system can rent a bike at one rack and return it at another. Most bike-sharing companies use smartphone apps for payment and processing.
But the question Portland will have to answer is if it can maintain safety if there's an increase in traffic through an already crowded Old Port. In recent years, the summer months have seen significant traffic back-up and increasing road rage in the downtown's most cluttered section. Adding more traffic to the mix could be the straw that breaks the camels back.
What do you think? Are bike-sharing services a good idea for Portland? Or will it cause additional traffic problems for the downtown area?