There are quite a few reasons why a bike share program can be nicer or a nice addition to owning a bike. I used the bike share program in a different city and l

There are quite a few reasons why a bike share program can be nicer or a nice addition to owning a bike. I used the bike share program in a different city and loved it. I think one of the nicest things is that after you park the bike you don't have to worry about it. When I lock up my own bike there's always the concern in the back of my mind that it won't be there when I return. And it's not just about the cost of the bike (and lock), there's also the hassle of getting home without your bike. It also gives you more freedom to choose different ways to go home after going out. Maybe you meet up with some friends who want to drive somewhere, or it starts pouring rain and you'd rather take the bus/uber/metro back home. Or you can bike somewhere, take a walk to a different part of the city and then take a bike home from there. You don't need to go back to where you left your bike. The 30 minute limit was almost never a concern for me. If you're going longer distances you can just check the bike into a station and check it back out. It's a little bit of extra time, but usually not a big deal. And in the city where I was living you could get additional time credit on your account if you drop your bike off at a station which doesn't get many returns (to help with the load balancing). I owned a bike and had a membership to the bike share program, but I almost never used my bike for commuting around town. It was just easier to use the shared bikes.