Bikeshare Still Searching for Profit

In Seattle, where bikes can be rented for as little as $2, rental fees don't cover most of the costs associated with bik share.

1 minute read

February 15, 2018, 12:00 PM PST

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Seattle Bikeshare

Paul Brady Photo / Shutterstock

There are several options for bikeshare in Seattle, but it's unlikely that any are making profits yet. "When I rent a bike, I’m one of probably two to three people who will rent the bike in a day. That means the bike I rent will bring in a few dollars a day for the bike sharing company," writes Joshua McNichols for KOUW. This especially true of rentals in the market that are sometimes as cheap as $2.

Still these services have their eyes on other sources of revenue. "Investors are pouring money into bike share companies," McNichols reports. Limebike has raised 62 million and Ofo has 1.3 billion in investment from Alibaba. These investors see potential revenue streams in city money that might pay to support these services in their cities and ad revenue that could be placed on the bikes or the apps used to get those bikes. If these other revenue streams don't emerge, this service for sustainable transit might not be a sustainable business model.

Thursday, February 8, 2018 in KUOW

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

April 18 - Smart Cities Dive