Salem City Councilor Files Order To Ban Dockless Bike Rentals

SALEM, MA -- The city would ban dock-less bike rentals and reserve the right to recycle bikes owned by those companies that are left of city property under an order filed by Ward 5 City Councilor Josh Turiel. Turiel filed the order, which needs city council approval, after noticing the bikes piling up on city sidewalks in key areas. The rental companies, like Ant Bicycle and its pilot program in Lynn and Swampscott, allow customers to drop off bikes whenever and wherever they are finished using them.

"It's a genius idea to try and have those kinds of extra mobility options, but these dockless systems have been a nightmare for accessibility, street access," Turiel told the Salem News, which first reported this story. "They get concentrated in places, in particular neighborhoods. They don't get picked up and moved the way they should be."

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Salem Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Photo by Ant Bicycle.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).