Redwood Bikeshare told the City of San Rafael Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee it is seeking committee support to open additional geofenced "drop zones"—digital parking locations tied to existing public bike racks—to increase convenient parking density across the city.

The presenter identified himself as the operations manager for Redwood Bikeshare and said the system operates under a two-year pilot funded by a public grant and that the program originally planned for 300 vehicles and 60 hubs systemwide. He said San Rafael currently has 75 bikes and roughly a dozen to 16 hubs active in town. The drop zones would allow users to end trips at mapped racks that are not formal hubs; the app would mark them as valid parking so users are not charged overtime fees.

The operations manager described how drop zones tripled parking opportunities in other nearby cities and drove higher ridership when installed around destinations such as parks and transit stations. He said the company limits active parking slots per rack to avoid over-concentration and that the bikes include a rear-wheel immobilizer and a tether to discourage theft. He added that staff will retrieve bikes left at a drop zone more than 24 hours to rebalance the system.

Committee members asked about operational costs, theft risk and GPS accuracy. The presenter said he expects to publish first-year operational cost figures in Q4 and that current GPS accuracy can be within roughly 100–150 feet, a limitation that shapes how closely spaced drop zones can be placed. Committee members supported adding density downtown and suggested locations including Fourth Street, McNear’s Beach, Canal District parks and Terralinda community center. The presenter said he is pursuing partnerships with transit operators and property owners, and that an equity membership tier exists for income-qualified riders at $5 per month for 30 minutes of ride time per day.

The committee and the presenter discussed coordination with city staff on rack standards and possible placement near bus and SMART train stops. The presenter said customer service accepts written requests through the app and that he maintains a spreadsheet of candidate locations gathered from riders and municipal outreach. He asked for staff help identifying city-owned rack sites and for committee input on underserved neighborhoods.

No formal action was taken; the presenter said he will continue outreach and return with updates as the pilot evolves.