Are Dockless Bikes Coming To Your Neighborhood?

WHITE PLAINS (CBSNewYork) – Bright green two-wheelers have changed the landscape in Westchester County's business center. Now, dockless "Lime Bikes" may be moving into an area near you.

"I think it's great, helps people move around town," one person told CBS2's Tony Aiello.

There are 300 of them on the streets of White Plains. Lime Bikes are short term rentals that aren't parked at docking stations; they're unlocked using an app on your smart phone.

Since the launch more than 7,000 people have signed up for Lime Bike White Plains. That's about 12 percent of the city's population.

The appeal is the ease - grab it, ride it, and park it when you're done.

"It might be in front of your house! Might be anywhere, when it stops, it stops," another resident said.

The reviews aren't all positive. In other cities it's led to what's called "bike litter." Dockless bikes ending up in trees in Seattle, on highways in Virginia, and even thrown onto subway tracks in Washington D.C.

Tom Soyk, the deputy commissioner of the Parking/Traffic Division in White Plains, says they do get complaints about bikes left in inappropriate places. The city calls Lime and the clock starts ticking.

"About six to eight hours for them to get there and have that bike removed," Soyk said.

Dockless bikes are now in Yonkers and in parts of the Bronx and the Rockaways. They're part of a pilot program to see how the public accepts them. Several other cities are reportedly watching to see how those programs go before adopting the dockless bikes for themselves.