Update: SDOT has published a blog post on the test project. “We’ve selected five ‘sidewalk furniture zone’ locations along NW Market St in Ballard where we’re encouraging bike share users to park their bike share bikes,” explains SDOT’s Norm Mah. The locations are:
– North side of Market just west of Ballard Ave (in front of Shakti Yoga).
– NE corner of Leary and Market (Ballard Beer Company).
– SE corner of Leary and Market (AT&T store).
– SW corner of Tallman and Market (All the Best Pet Care).
– North side of Market just W of Russel (Kangaroo and Kiwi).
SDOT says they’ll monitor the test parking areas and see if they help make the bikes in the area “appear more orderly.”
Earlier: Green, yellow and orange bikes have invaded Seattle over the last year or so, and we’ve all seen them scattered around the neighborhood — some even stacked in piles and occasionally thrown into Green Lake.
These are dockless bikeshare bikes from LimeBike, Ofo and Spin. Unlike cities like NYC — where you’re required to neatly dock your rented bikes — you can park them wherever you please.
A couple days ago, Thatcher Imboden spotted this freshly-painted bike parking area across the street from Matador along Market St. “Not sure if this is official paint, but this looks like a pilot for designated dockless bikeshare parking area in Ballard Seattle. Insight?” he asked on Twitter.
Sure enough, city traffic engineer Dongho Chang responded that it’s indeed a city test.
Will it help clean up the colorful bikeshare mess? Hard to tell, but we’ll keep you updated. Meanwhile, former SDOT chief Scott Kubly — who overaw the launch of dockless bikeshare in Seattle — has taken a job at Limebike.
I saw one of these the other day. Whos bikes are these?