Bikeshare Stations Don't Have to Be Clunky [Atlantic]

These days, it isn’t unusual to see bike-sharing stations in major cities around the globe. Inspired by the growing demand for these programs, Rafael Schmidt of the Swiss firm RAFAA has envisioned a sleek bike and various docking systems that blend into the urban mold.

To save space and streamline the process, Schmidt has proposed new docking systems that either do away with clunky racks or raise stored bikes off the ground. The bikes themselves would be equipped with accelerated GPS and W-Lan tracking systems that respond to immediate questions of location and user status. The system would provide a texting service that announces when a bike is free and would enable users to reserve an open bike at least 30 minutes in advance.

[keep reading at Atlantic]