Matilda Gajardo- Aparicio
As a whole the United States is more productive than it was one hundred, fifty, or even thirty years ago. As explained in Naked Economics Undressing the Dismal Science, we are more productive now than ever before. “The day is not any longer, but what we can get done in twenty-four hours has changed dramatically.”[1] Since time is money, every minute saved can be essential to our economic growth. Unhealthy habits such as smoking may be cut from ones routine to take full advantage of time and efficiency. However, there seems to be some tedious tasks that cannot be willed away. For example, being stuck in traffic is a waste of time, money, and makes, not just our economy, but our planet worse off by emitting harmful levels of CO2 in to the atmosphere. But according to Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, in The Geography of Transport Systems, “Because of its intensive use of infrastructures, the transport sector is an important component of the economy and a common tool used for development.”[2] So because of our need to transport goods, services, and ourselves from one destination to another, transportation cannot be simply cut out of the equation. On the other hand, it could be better maximized and incentivized.
A large city, such as Dallas, Texas, has people constantly on the move. With a population of over one million, and all having someplace to be, there seems to be no shortage of traffic. Even with ridesharing services, like Uber and Lift, D Magazine says, “We’re still spending two and a half days a year sitting in traffic in one of the most congested cities in the world — the most congested city in Texas.”[3] The solution to getting more cars off the rode while getting the most out of precious time is as easy as riding a bike, a LimeBike.
As reported by CNN, “Dallas suddenly has the largest bikeshare network in the United States.”[4] The main bicycle-sharing service provider is Limebike. This service aims to provide cities with a cheap and convenient way to travel and eliminate carbon footprints. In addition, cycling can improve cardiovascular fitness, strength, and flexibility, while simultaneously decreasing body fat and stress levels. With so many benefits the use of LimeBikes was a hit from the start. Since August of 2017, LimeBike’s company estimates about 70,000 people in Dallas have taken more than 180,000 rides in its first six months and use has steadily increased. Moreover, almost half of all rides are during rush hour and begin or end near a DART stop.[5] More and more people are choosing to save time and money by combining exercise and mobility all while avoiding long waits in traffic.
Nevertheless, these same bikes have proven to be a negative externality for some Dallas residents. An externality is, “the gap between the private cost and the social cost of some behavior.”[6] An externality is negative with its social cost is greater than its private cost. In this case, the cost of riding a LimeBike, $1, is less than the cost residents now pay with the bicycles littered across the city. And although some people may not fancy the idea of government intervention, “one crucial role for government in a market economy is dealing with externalities- those cases in which individuals or firms engage in private behavior that has broader social consequences.”[7]Between September 2017 and February 2018 the city received about eight hundred complaints about the bikes. Because the bicycles are dockless, they can be strewn about all over the city which leaves an unsightly mess for all who travel around Dallas, including those who do not use the service. Furthermore, bicycles are constantly being used in acts of vandalism by being broken, burned, or even mounted on telephone poles. The brightly colored green and yellow bicycles are often left for days or weeks at a time and have become a plague of unwanted litter rather than a useful service.
From the time when LimeBikes came to Dallas up to now, there have been positive and negative outcomes from the ridesharing service. Does that mean Dallas should accept the flaws in order to reap its benefits, or get rid of the bikes all together? I suggest neither. The bicycles are carelessly strewn all over the city because riders have no reason to treat them with care and put them out of sight. And even if someone were to want to place the bicycle neatly somewhere, out of the kindness of their heart, it would be very difficult to find a convenient place considering there are no specific docking stations for LimeBikes. But, if there were to be docking stations and proper incentives placed on the treatment of the bicycles, Dallas may be able to ride LimeBikes and keep the city clean too. As I mentioned before, many riders stop and end at a DART station, many of which already have bike racks. Therefore, LimeBikes can be left there and new racks can be added if needed. To incentivize people to actually return the bicycles to a docking station, a percentage of the money paid for each ride can be offered back. The company already compensates people to find and charge their electric scooters, so why not also offer a few cents back to find and put away the bikes? By implementing this simple change, the city may receive less complaints and increase the number of riders, allowing Dallas residents to help themselves and the planet.
[1] Wheelan, Charles, and Charles Wheelan. “Keeping Score: Is my economy bigger than your economy?.” In Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science, 195. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010.
[2] “Transportation and Economic Development.” The Geography of Transport Systems. March 04, 2018. Accessed June 21, 2018. https://transportgeography.org/?page_id=5260
[3] Celeste, Eric, Tim Rogers, Daniel Walker, Caitlin Clark, Kathy Wise, and Gable Mansfield. “Just How Bad Is Dallas’ Rush Hour Traffic, Really?” D Magazine. August 14, 2017. Accessed June 21, 2018. https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2017/08/dallas-rush-hour-traffic/.
[4] Bicycles, With More than 20000. “Dallas’s Rush into Bikeshare Turns Controversial.” CNNMoney. Accessed June 21, 2018. http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/05/technology/dallas-bikeshare-limebike-ofo/index.html.
[5] Bicycles, With More than 20000. “Dallas’s Rush into Bikeshare Turns Controversial.” CNNMoney. Accessed June 21, 2018. http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/05/technology/dallas-bikeshare-limebike-ofo/index.html.
[6] Wheelan, Charles, and Charles Wheelan. “Government and the Economy: Government is your friend (and a round of applause for all those lawyers).” In Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science, 55. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010.
[7] Wheelan, Charles, and Charles Wheelan. “Government and the Economy: Government is your friend (and a round of applause for all those lawyers).” In Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science, 56. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010.
Bear Market 