CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Convenience or clutter?
Many residents in Charlotte are sounding off about the hundreds of bicycles that are now dotting the streets of the Queen City. The new bike share pilot program sent 2,000 bikes into the city nearly overnight.
Logan Cyrus lives in Charlotte and is a photographer who has found the bikes in some very interesting places.
“The city itself is not bike friendly. Yet we have tons of bikes,” Cyrus said.
From the front porch of people’s homes to the tops of trash dumpsters and even tossed into the lake at Freedom Park, the bikes are everywhere.
“I think it could be serving entire city a little better, but it's doing right now.”
The bike share pilot program allows for 2,000 bikes in Charlotte.There are four companies each with 500 GPS-based bikes: Mobike, Spin, LimeBike, and Ofo.
The bicycles are strategically parked in high density areas like uptown, South End and near bus and train stops. But it is what the bikes are blocking that's the attention of residents and city leaders.
The Defenders uncovered email after email from people saying the bikes are making businesses and sidewalks inaccessible. The city said a team would canvas the area to find the bikes in question.
The city of Charlotte has also posted a link to a survey if you’d like to voice your feedback. NBC Charlotte is told the city’s team will take those surveys into question when considering whether to keep the program the way it is or make changes over the next few months.