Seattle’s city-run bike-share program is dead.
Pronto is scheduled to shut down at the end of March, so the announcement means the city will soon have no public system at all.
Tom Fucoloro, the editor of Seattle Bike Blog, expressed disappointment that the city hasn’t been able to get bike share right. Portland and Vancouver, B.C., which started systems more recently, are pedaling forward, he noted.
“It’s very frustrating,” Fucoloro said. “Seattle was the only one of the three that had a system, and now it will be the only one that doesn’t.”
Some think Seattle’s mandatory helmet law contributed to the system’s woes, while the city’s hilly terrain and rainy weather were also cited as challenges.
Seattle?s Mayor Murray kills city-run bike-share program | The Seattle Times
Apparently the city is willing to work with a private firm, but will no longer sponsor the city run bike share program.