Paris' Bike Rental Program Celebrates Second Birthday (VIDEO)

Velib, Paris' public bicycle rental program, celebrates its second birthday today. Velib or "bike freedom" distributes 20,000 bicycles across Paris at 1800 locations. Riders can access the bikes through a variety of payment methods: a one-day card for 1 euro, a weekly card for 5 euros, or an annual card for 29 euros. Over the past two years, Velib has been used over fifty-three million times. The 22.5 kilogram bikes are equipped with three-speed settings, a locking system, and powered by an LED light.

There are currently four times as many Velib locations as Metro stations making it the newest and greenest form of public transportation in Paris. Mayor Bertrand Delanoe initiated the program to decrease Paris' pollution and to deter Parisians from relying on cars and taxis. 120,000 trips are taken daily for commutes around the city. The bikes even come equipped with a basket to transport ones daily purchases around the city, so skip the plastic bags and hop on an eco-friendly Velib!

Comments

[Schneb]

If someone proposed that here, there'd be cries of 'socialism via bikes!' with horror stories about private bike shops being put out of business and privately owned bikes being banned and all the good bike stands being grabbed by these jack-boote­d-govt.-bi­ke-clones,

...and the bike lobby would get hit up for loads of campaign contributions and/or would sponsor congressional fact-finding seminar/bi­ke-get-a-a­way opportunities in the Bahamas and South of France and so on,

But please, let's do it anyway.

[despin]

I don't think so. You're correct that it could never be a city function due to socialism-ranters. But it could probably be straightforwardly privatized. Like Zipcar or I-Go. (The question of bicycle parking areas is dicey though..)

I think it is not transferrable to the US for other reasons. Setting aside the obvious questions of culture/lifestyle (and whether Americans would ascribe 'value' to the whole idea)..

> The US is Attorney Nation. The program smacks of liability / settlement-baiting heaven

> Paris banned SUVs. Try that in the US.

> Health insurance imponderables makes it a very risky proposition. (as mentioned by others below)

> Recall that Paris "took" 1 lane of most city streets, around 2005.. the rightmost lanes were dedicated to busses, cabs, and bicycles. That'd be step number 1 in the US.. people are scared to death of cycling because of an epidemic of texting/phoning drivers and oversized/­belligeren­t vehicles/egos.

To the last point- although repurposing traffic lanes in the US wouldn't happen, repurposin­g/widening SIDEWALKS for multipedestrian use (like you see in state parks, greenbelts, beaches) is the one (and only) possibility I can think of.

[MajorKong]

You see these things all over Paris.

[Chaucea]

Some areas of Oslo, Norway--primarily in the downtown area--have a similar type of bike rental system.

[luke150]

good for the environment, but also good exercise, more calories burned, less fat people.

[Gordon]

I was bummed out I couldn't take advantage of this program last summer when I was in paris. I think you have to have a credit card from a french bank. Maybe next time.

[netzwerg]

You dont need a credit card. A 1 EURO coin is all you need.

[Samalabear]

I have always loved riding a bike. And one of the greatest pleasures as a kid was going to WIlliamsburg, renting a bike and driving all over the colonial town. But I stopped riding a bike because A) I can't afford one and B) our streets simply aren't safe enough between the drivers and the condition of the roads. You don't ride a bike when you don't have health insurance and thus no access to reasonable health care.

If you think I'm joking, ask Senator Schumer. He wrote a blog on the joys of bike riding in NYC here on HuffPo and got an earful from ex-bicycle riders who no longer ride because they either A) didn't have healthinsurance or B) couldn't afford to use their insurance if they had an accident.

[Thinkbolt]

In the USA, this program would last exactly one day. Every single bike would be instantly stolen.

[csuciadams]

Ok, you think so huh? That is why cards are required to rent them. If they are stolen then the person's card would be charged. Would you protect the bike if you were going to be charged if it was stolen? What a negative way of thinking..­.

[amdezurik]

they are very basic and identifiable bikes. Sure some might get stolen for spite at first but i cannot really imagine a market for them.

[JSDKoeln]

We have this in Cologne as well. Any renal bike parked anywhere is available to rent. Just dial the number and pin in your account and bike code and it magically unlocks. When you lock it, the meters goes off. I used this for a while before I got a bike. it isincredibly cool.

[Scent]

I LOVE it!

I would like to meet the politician who started that program. There is someone who actually did something intelligent for his people without even the remote possibility of support from lobbyists.

Which is probably why something like that is not a daily occurence but a rarity worthy of sitting next to the pink panther.

And it will stay that way if we asthe people don't start demanding similar actions from our business pander... - sorry - from our money hugging, heartle...­.. - sorry

politicians.

[j mcdouglas]

Those bikes are cool looking!

[SFTor]

That's a great program. I live in San Francisco, so people would get some real exercise here.

[JSDKoeln]

lol The LAST thing I would want to do is bike in San Fran. But the gluts I would have... woo hoo!

[itbcn8]

Barcelona has this too, it's called Bicing and it's great! Same problems with vandalism.­.. probably a little more than Paris, but it's still amazing.

[paulbikes]

This needs to exist in every major city, period. It's obviously profitable even after vandalism etc, and the benefits are un-deniable.

[benji85]

Agreed.

I would also be one who rent one of these if it were available in my city.

[amdezurik]

I used them a lot when I was there and it is so nice to not have to worry about an individual bike, leave it at any of their stands and if it's gone, snag another one!

[doodlebug2]

I ride my bike whenever I can, and I live in the sticks.
It will never work here, people are to fat to ride bikes and like it that way.

[amdezurik]

do you sniff your own f@.rts too??

[Dynamohum]

Bike seats - whiffle sniffers.

[cayuse]

Transportation with a bicycle or wheel chair does not stimulate me much. A horse would make more horse sense to me.

I would rather see little towns made into self suficient comunities growing their own fuel, food, chothing, etc. Imagine the fossel fuels that would be saved,

Imagine Microsoft promoting job skill communites utilizing all their office technology to save commuting, lives and costs.

Naming this healthy and green does little to make an impact. At least one to save a dying planet

[paulbikes]

That made no sense, and growing your own fuel and clothing makes even less sense. You can't turn around after decades of globalization with a localization agenda, there are plenty of ways to straighten things out without being absurdist.

[cayuse]

Imagination is fine, but does little to understand earth, life and nature.

Technology is useless to solve mans over endolgence. Like mass transit when you are going nowhere or space travel in empty space.

Without purpose what does it mean, how is it useful except for the noise it creates. Unless noise is the purpose and not living.. I am not selling primative living as much as I am right action or righteousness.

If it is wrong we should change it with right. Growing things that can be done close to the source of consumption makes sense and is economically cheaper. Sending raw materials to China subsidising cheap labor with the high cost of fuel is not only expensive it is not economical and against the law of nature