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Bike-sharing program hits the US

  2. julietp
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The Velib program which started in Paris summer 2007 has proven successful and a sister program is about to launch in Washington DC.

Starting next month, people in Washington DC will be able to rent a bicycle day and night with the swipe of a membership card.

A new public-private venture called SmartBike DC will make 120 bicycles available at 10 spots in central locations in the city. The automated program, which district officials say is the first of its kind in the nation, will operate in a similar fashion to car-sharing programs like Zipcar.
julietp

34 responses // Bike-sharing program hits the US

  • I just came across this in the NYtimes! super fab!
    (ps. the skirt and chain guard are a plus in my taste :)

    -
    Curious to see what type of ads will be plastered around them or the stations. As the article quotes:
    "Bike-sharing has become a public service subsidized by advertising,”
    meligrosa
  • Neat
    Wildfire775
  • about freakin time
    mcamargo
  • watch this comment being used here, here, here, here, here, and here
    I was in Paris last week and saw this in action. I'd love to see this in the US!

    Part of what makes it work so well is that there are a lot of stations. Here's a map of stations:
    http://www.velib.paris.fr/trouver_une_station
    and a map of available bikes:
    http://www.parisavelo.net/

    It's a little scary to see so many people riding in traffic without helmets. I don't know how long they can get away with not providing helmets.
    marcozarco
  • parisians also find it's a good solution for late nights out and avoiding hang overs..;)
    julietp
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_bicycle_program#...
    Image...
    helmets are for suckers.

    I like the idea though, they were working in something similar in Amsterdam. They had tried the 'white bike plan" in the 60s or 70s and it failed. The new plan failed too. I guess people were just too stoned. Bummer.

    (I can't believe I am linking to a Wikipedia article, is that dirty? is that kosher? feels weird.)
    chet_arthur
  • Great idea!

    How about all those ghastly Gas Stations that will be out of business soon! Take down the EXXON/MOBIL signs and put up

    ALTY FUEL
    CAR AND BIKE SERVICE and rentals

    They could be cleaned up environmentally and serve a number of purposes for a reasonable fee.

    Bike Service/rental Stations
    Electric Car and "ALTY" Fuel Stations
    Be fueled by wind or solar
    Serve Green Tea and cold fresh water
    Mostly Vegan or other green meals (no Twinkies or Chemical Frosties)
    Eco friendly toilets
    Low flow showers and lockers for commuters to freshen up.




    CarolynGillis
  • This is great! I think people can carry their own helmets and their own lights too. Maybe there's a way for the bikes to have standard light mounts that people can clip their own lights into. Easy enough to do.I think it's officially illegal in SF to ride in the dark without lights.
    alustig
  • It's a brilliant idea, but will take some time to fully catch on in most cities. Unfortunately, urban planners in most places don't favor pedestrians or bicyclists any more.
    nickwe3d
  • watch out zipcar...

    tribe10
    http://www.gohov.com
    tribe10
  • The bike riders need infrastructure and guidance on how/where to ride a bike.
    jinkies
  • watch this comment being used here and here
    I am all for this type program in DC, and all over for that matter. But only 1,200 bicycles total at only 10 stations??? Such a small plan is destined to fail, even though I hope it doesn't. Paris has over 20,00 bicycles at over 1,000 stations.
    I_Hunt_Wizards
  • as a washingtonian, im physched!
    lemonsun12
  • Looking good. Now we just need to push this program to every large city.

    Get on your Bikes and Ride!!!
    lockyman
  • I think it's an awesome idea - and sincerely hope they expand it!

    I am riding my bike or walking as much as reasonably possible. I have saved mucho dinero (sp?) on gasoline already, spared myself at one parking ticket and I'm in better shape. A birdy for Bush, oil companies and rising gas prices!
    VoyagerFilms
  • That's pretty cool. It's good for the environment and it's healthy as well.
    VitaminB2
  • good for the environment, the wallet, and health.. win-win
    julietp
  • Me too VoyagerFilms! This time it is so beautiful here in San Francisco and we are using our vehicle as little as possible. We walk and I bike! It is quite a work out to go up and down these hills but it is a lot fun! Too bad that our public transportation system, SFMTA-Muni, and some of the people driving their vehicles and motorcycles trash our place with pollution noise and gas. It is shameful folks!!!
    We have people with no education running our City. I am praying to GOD so we can together stop these people from prematurely killing others in the City. They have no education and no class and they hate everybody!!! It is social chaos at its best and they are supporting and helping out by putting more fuel in the fire everyday, literarily speaking. GOD, PLEASE, HELP US!
    stopnoise
  • watch this comment being used here, here and here
    It's an excellent idea and should be rolled out in other cities. But what's needed are more dedicated paths or lanes to ride on. I personally wouldn't fancy riding a bike on a New York City street.
    NcSchu
  • ***Please, lower your keyboard volume!
    This time of the Year it is the best we have here in the City. The Sun and Temp is up and it is just fun to go out enjoying the weather and the outside doors. But there are so many human environmental issues that works against our lives unnecessarily. Look at this, I went out just for 10 minutes to get some ice-cream and here are the passive aggressive social events taking place right in front of us.

    We do live on an acoustic landscape environment. Acoustic Ignorance can do a lot of damage to our lives and sanity as you can see and hear it.

    Ps: Tech review: The reason this film came out of focus was because I was using the macro mode lens instead of the landscape mode. However, bare with me that I was Photographing flowers just 5 minutes ago.

    You also have to add a delay time there.
    What that means?
    -Delay Time?
    What is delay time?
    Delay time is the time I missed between (a) before event (b) event starts (c) during events and (d) event ends.

    What I captured it is really just the end of the event. That is the time between being aware of the issue, grab the camera from the case, turn it on, point and shoot.
    stopnoise
  • They have a bike share program in Madison, WI for the college students to do their commuting. You can pick one up at one point and return it to another. Heard it is going great. Plant I work at donated about 200 bikes to them.
    JoQ
    • JoQ
    • 2 months ago
  • I have been extremely excited about this program ever since i saw it on current... I am more pumped that it is hitting the states now. There are so many days where I want to ride a long distance somewhere fast, with friends or when I'm stranded and my bmx isn't near by/would not be fun to ride it that far...
    They need to get this started up in Boston.I have a feeling that the bikes will get vandalized a lot because people don't know how to act. I can also see many people getting pegged in traffic by the crazy cabbies.

    Overall i really want this program to take off. train systems are far too expensive,this is eco-friendly, plus this is also way healthier than sitting chomping on donuts and chugging coffee on your way to work.that coffee will only kind of wake you up while a ride will get you in gear...literally.
    bostongeorge
  • they had one of these outside of our hotel in paris... there were times where all of them were gone, and there were times where all of them were there.

    I'm glad DC is trying this out, and I can't see how it isn't a good idea..
    jplovett
  • Maybe we're finally waking up.
    ScreamingDinosaur
  • i look like the biggest moron riding a bike...

    ill just walk
    keeshii768
  • Bring it to SF!
    ILiveonaClock
  • I don't own a car, and bicycle . I could movie to Washington DC, is a good idea
    yai
    • yai
    • 2 months ago
  • This just goes to show that France is leading the world in many ways - it ain't America - unfortunately, could be, but were spending our resources on destroying and blowing things up instead.
    VoyagerFilms
  • The more people ride bikes, the safer the world is for bike riding. The best way to get others out on their bikes is to ride your bike! Every city needs a Bicycle Coalition to look after its bike riding constituents. Check out the sfbike.org.
    Julie_Soller
  • Bicycling is the best clean and health alternative to City and Country traffic. Just thinking about it I get motivated to ride. Going out biking, breathing some oxygen, gazing at the landscape, working out in that extra pounds of love handles, ...it all work out very nice in the end. I am all for it!
    stopnoise
  • I love biking in Maine.

    I think that maybe people would donate their unused bikes to our city and paint them yellow.

    I think this was done somewhere..maybe to have them recognizable and so they woud be less desirable to steal.

    I have one or two smaller bikes in my basement I would love to donate to a good cause. ..
    I will contact our local Meetup Bikers of Maine friend to see what he thinks...shouldn't be much to implement it.
    CarolynGillis
  • http://current.com/items/86211651_man_who_had_sex_with_...
    Image...
    this could be trouble....
    Incredulous
  • i sincerely hope this program works, and that it spread. small towns like mine are ideal for biking around safely, but a program like that may never spread outside of big cities if people don't take a risk and give them a try. can $40 really be thought of as a risk?
    aBeaUtifulSavAge
  • FINALLY!...we learn from those that know!
    nwillens