You may have noticed bikes randomly parked on Seattle sidewalks.
If they’re painted bright orange or green, they’re part of the new bike share pilot program launched by the city last month.
Two private companies, LimeBike and Spin, are permitted by the city to operate.
Neither company relies on docking stations, which is why you’ll find bikes scattered across the city.
“I like the idea that people can rent a bike for a cheap price to get around town. I think it’s going to be a problem if the company doesn’t pick up people’s bikes off people’s lawns, and if they are just sitting around on the sidewalk and not redistributed,” said Eric Edgerton.
On Spin’s website, it advises users to “park a Spin anywhere responsible, as if it were your own bike.”
LimeBike advises users to "park LimeBike by a bike rack or at designated areas," on their website.
Bikes have been left on sidewalks and at parks in Seattle, but some have been left in more obscure places.
Twitter user Marley Blonsky snapped a picture of three LimeBike bikes thrown over an overpass at 4th Ave. and S. Jackson St. near Pioneer Square.
“It’s like personal responsibility. Don’t throw your trash in other people’s yards,” said Jason Delponte.
Both companies plan to expand beyond the 1,000 bikes they each have on the streets now. Spin says its goal is to have 10,000 bikes throughout Seattle neighborhoods.
Seattle Department of Transportation says it may add a third bike share company this week and more than a dozen other companies have expressed interest in joining the pilot program.
SDOT will review the performance of LimeBike and Spin in December, and then decide if they should keep on rolling.
