The actual solution here is for municipal transport companies to get involved - e.g. there’s a brand new bike scheme in Edinburgh that was set up by the council-owned bus company and run by Serco under a concession. The bikes are really quite nice - there’s docks all over the city centre and clearly marked spots where you can use the integrated lock to leave them where a dock can’t be installed, they’re quite sturdy and easy to use, and handle the hills quite well. There’s rumours that electric assist bikes are being brought in too. I handed in my bus pass and bought a bike pass (for a savings of a few hundred pounds) within the first week.
I handed in my bus pass and bought a bike pass (for a savings of a few hundred pounds) within the first week.
Why didn't you just buy a bike with the savings? It's probably much better quality, a much nicer riding experience and -as you describe your transit needs - would pay for itself in no time.
Because I don’t have space to keep a bike in my apartment. It also means I can cycle somewhere and take the bus back, or vice versa, when needed - that’s my partner’s commute, a bus into work in the morning and a cycle back from the dock outside her work to the virtual dock at the end of our street in the evening.
