Bike-Sharing Gets Smart

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For that to happen, public transportation has to solve its big chicken-and-egg problem. Most people don't want to use trains, buses or bikes unless they're really convenient, but most cities aren't willing to spend enough to make these services convenient until enough people start using them. One way Washington is trying to encourage widespread use of SmartBikes is by not requiring helmets, let alone providing them. "It's not a good idea to share helmets because you have sanitary issues and sweat issues," says Paul DeMaio, founder of MetroBike, a consulting firm that advises cities on implementing bike-sharing. "byoh, for sure."

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