

A New Fashion Catches On in Paris - Cheap Bicycle Rentals - lurkage
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/world/europe/13paris.html?em&ex=1216094400&en=5c7f90db34c58472&ei=5070

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johnyzee
In Copenhagen we have free city cycles in the entire central city area. Just
slip in a coin and you can take the cycle out for as long as you want. When
done park it at any of the stations and take your coin back.

Also, pretty much every street here has a dedicated cycle lane on each side of
the road.

<http://www.bycyklen.dk/english/thecitybikeandcopenhagen.aspx>

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fallentimes
I read that some cities had problems with too many bikes ending up at a select
few stations. For instance, you'd bike to the shopping center and then take
your groceries home via train or bus. Have you noticed this problem happening
in Copenhagen johnnyzee?

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johnyzee
I haven't noticed or heard complaints about it. They have teams of people
taking care of the fleet in exchange for unemployment benefits, I believe this
includes redistributing once in a while.

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felixmar
The "white bicycle" concept dates from 1965 and was proposed by Provo, a Dutch
counter-culture movement. In a manifest (see
<http://www.gramschap.nl/provo/chrono/prpk5.jpg>) they announced that they
would place a white painted bike in the city center of Amsterdam which would
become public property. The goal was to counter pollution of the city but it
was also a statement against the increase of consumerism. After they placed
the bike it was immediately confiscated by the police because it didn't have a
lock.

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cawel
This kind of projects brings fun traffic management challenges.

On late Friday/Saturday nights, it was impossible (experienced it myself) to
find a bike for the taking in central Paris, since the flow of bikes was from
the inner towards the outer Paris at that time.

Similarly, trying to find a bike after 9am on weekdays if you do not live in
the center of Paris was impossible (experienced it myself): the flow of bikes
was from the outer towards the inner Paris at that time.

That was Fall 2007.

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Tichy
In munich they had a system where you would get money back if you cycled from
the outer circle into the inner circle.

I still don't think those bikes became a great hit, mainly because signing up
for them was too much hassle (in my opinion). They are still around, but I
can't imagine that they make a profit.

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parenthesis
As China embraces the car, Paris embraces the bicycle.

[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-11/11/content_...](http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-11/11/content_390685.htm)

~~~
papersmith
The fact that the government's keeping a cap on gas prices doesn't help
either. On the other hand, since my trip there in 2000, electric
mopeds/scooters were already immensely popular there, way before I started see
them here in North America.

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cawel
It's coming in Montreal too in Fall 2008:
[http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=654...](http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=654c09d8-d549-4dd1-a3f8-b294b2aef3df)

From the Gazette's article: _Montreal plans to be the first city in North
America to set up a large-scale "self-serve" public bicycle rental service._

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gaius
This was tried in England, and was a complete failure. The bicycles were
almost immediately vandalized by chavs. Some cities are ready for it, some
just aren't.

BoJo, the new Mayor of London, is a keen cyclist, we shall have to see what he
comes up with.

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pg
I was there last fall and these bicycles were massively popular. I think they
made quite a lot of people ride who wouldn't have otherwise.

~~~
cawel
Especially since last Fall saw the serious public-transportation strikes in
Paris. This for sure is a good incentive to force people to use those bikes :)
People were getting up extra early to maximize their chances of putting their
hands on a bike to go to work, as they couldn't use the subway!

But don't get me wrong, this project is an unequivocal success (as well as a
political investment for Paris mayor Delanoë, preparing for the presidential
elections in 2012).

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bmj
There is a program in Barcelona, too (<http://www.bicing.com/>).

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PStamatiou
I'm in Rome now and these things are everywhere.

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mtrimpe
I was in Paris when they introduced these things and it was really great.
Everybody collectively figuring out how to use these things; tourists teaching
locals about the system and all-round fun. I really loved it.

