Jeramey Jannene
Eyes on Milwaukee

Bike Sharing for Low-Income Riders

Bublr Bikes and city win grant to help build a truly inclusive system.

By - Jul 8th, 2016 03:37 pm

Bublr Bikes and city win grant to help build a truly inclusive system. Back to the full article.

Photos - Page 3

6 thoughts on “Eyes on Milwaukee: Bike Sharing for Low-Income Riders”

  1. Ron says:

    At $3 for a single ride, any local would be much better off picking up a used bike on Craigslist. Even with the 90% discount for the annual pass it still doesn’t make much financial sense. With a bit of bike repair education, wouldn’t people be better off in the long run and be more likely to bike if they picked up a $25 bike on Craigslist and had one of their own?

    I see these bike share programs as great for tourists and that unanticipated need situation, but not as ones daily vehicle.

  2. Chris says:

    Kudos to Bublr for their tireless effort to create an inclusive and affordable new transit network in Milwaukee.

  3. Merelyfaith says:

    So happy to see this service available in the neighborhood.

    Most lower income people do not have a space where they can securely store the $25 bike that they may find at a yardsale or on Craig’s list. They are also unlikely to have access to the tools and experience necessary to repair or maintain the vehicle. $8 for a year of bicycle use without responsibility for maintenance is a windfall for intercity residents.

    Tourists needs are different. They generally have the cash to rent a bike, one with all the bells and whistles.

    Dream Bikes, you rock!

  4. @Ron – The single ride price is only if you don’t have a membership. If you have a membership the ride is free.

    So a HACM resident would pay $8 for an unlimited number of rides over a year. Anyone else pay $80 for a year, or $15 month.

    A $25 Craigslist bike can’t compare to that. You have to maintain it, buy a lock and lose the flexibility to take one way trips.

  5. James says:

    Nice article, Jeramey. I also shamelessly invite folks to check out my master’s thesis report re: equitable bikeshare where I attempted to explore the perceptions of biking and bike sharing in Milwaukee and the Twin Cities.

    http://dc.uwm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1881&context=etd

  6. June Kane says:

    What is the senior rate?

Leave a Reply

You must be an Urban Milwaukee member to leave a comment. Membership, which includes a host of perks, including an ad-free website, tickets to marquee events like Summerfest, the Wisconsin State Fair and the Florentine Opera, a better photo browser and access to members-only, behind-the-scenes tours, starts at $9/month. Learn more.

Join now and cancel anytime.

If you are an existing member, sign-in to leave a comment.

Have questions? Need to report an error? Contact Us