short rides cost more because there is a fixed fee to start. an 8min ride would be a much shorter distance than the average bus trip. also, many of those companies offer subscriptions that offer a handful of free rides per day. if memory serves, one of them was $16. compare that to the unsubsidized cost of a monthly transit pass of about $300-$350.

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the problem with the docked bikes is that they're more expensive to manage and not as convenient because they aren't as distributed. docked can work somewhat ok as long as an efficient company is running it. the city running it would be multiple times more expensive. simply not worth it, especially given that it's so unlikely that it would be done well.