A Bike Share bike rack in downtown Boulder, CO.
Raleigh City Council is considering sponsoring a bike share program. This was a project first begun a year or two ago, resulting in winning a federal grant. Now that grant is in danger of expiring next month if the city does not move forward.
I am reminded of the presentation former Raleigh City Planner Mitchell Silver gave a few years ago on our society’s changing demographics, an eye-opening look at today’s new workforce. Today’s new workforce does not want to drive anywhere (sorry, RTP). The new workforce wants their living, working, and playing all to be nearby. One need only see the massive investments recently made in upscale apartments clustered around downtown, N.C. State, Cameron Village, and other commercial areas. Durham’s American Tobacco Campus is the same way.
The new workforce will be drawn to cities that are friendly to this new lifestyle. I frequently travel to bike-friendly Boulder and can’t help but think Raleigh is missing out on attracting the smart, healthy workforce that prefers a life without cars. The bar has been raised and either Raleigh adapts or it gets left behind.
Some councilors aren’t convinced that Raleigh should be “in the bike business.” Well, Raleigh should be in the healthy-citizenry business. It should be in the attractive-to-Millennials business. It should be in the tourist-friendly business. And, as I understand it there are multiple commercial sponsors ready to help support it financially, so Raleigh will have partners in the bike business.
Might the BikeShare program cost the city money? Sure. But it might cost the city more not to do it.