Bicycle sharing has proven to be an effective way of minimizing traffic and providing options for commuters. This is particularly true in highly urbanized areas like Columbus, Ohio, which started bike sharing last year. Alta then moved to other cities like Tennessee, Chattanooga and Chicago. This year, plans are on the way for programs in Seattle, Baltimore and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Even with its successes, Alta continued to innovate. In its complex operations, Alta ensures that bikes are always available in stations so it uses vans to move bikes from one station to another. In its largest system located in New York, 6,000 bikes are being distributed to over 300 stations. Alta expects this to grow bigger in the coming years as more and more people are using its programs now.