Trail Cruiser
Well-Known Member
Law makers should focus on this more serious issue rather than bother the private (non business) ebike owners.
Last edited:
Most cities have not designed their major districts & downtown areas with bicycles in mind; that has come from public pressure to retrofit the streets & walkways to accommodate bikes. The lack of racks where renters could park & lean these free range ebikes adds to the problem. Why people are so unconscious of sharing sidewalk spaces with others is beyond understanding; however, when there's no readily apparent place to put these bikes and no repercussions for misuse enforced by the bike rental companies then these problems cascade.
In Austin TX bikes & escooters (except for a handful of Segways) were not permitted to ride or be on the downtown business district sidewalks. The logic for this was to was to keep the space open and safe for pedestrians and small outdoor cafes and reduce car traffic. This was blatantly ignored by the dockless ebike & escooter companies who have bullied their way onto the sidewalks without contributing to infrastructure to support it.
p0ppyman, I've found that when folks seek out a solution to an issue rather than just grumping a lot good creative thinking and conversations can happen. I'm sure your city will have several groups like our Texas Bike Coalition, Bike Austin, etc. Don't be bashful about reaching out via email & phone calls to Costco's corporate offices with a request for bike racks in a safe, well lit area. Also consider asking to speak with the manager of your local Costco and speak with that person about benefits of ebiking and how you and others would appreciate racks & lights. You might be surprised to find a positive response to this since it's not particularly expensive for big corporations to do these small things and it helps them fulfill corporate civic duty. Sometimes it's about helping them with the awareness of the value in what you request.