Have you heard the expression, “That idea is crazy enough it might just work?”
Well an idea that isn't all that crazy is working in: Paris, Barcelona, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Lyon and Pamplona. The 'not-so-crazy' idea is Bike Sharing.
The concept is simple and summed up by “The New York Bike Share Project”:
“Imagine walking to a sidewalk corner and finding a public bicycle. With a cellphone call or swipe of a card, you unlock it from its bike rack and ride it across town. Once at your destination, you steer to the closest bike rack and, with one more call or card swipe, return the bike to the public network. You pay less than $.50 for the trip, and the bike is once again available for the taking.”
The NY version of the concept was inspired from a trip to Paris by David Haskell, executive director of the Forum for Urban Design. The Forum is an organization of architects and planners that is testing the Bike-Share concept in New York.
Indeed the timing for the project may be fortuitous, since New York City's mayor, Mr. Bloomberg, London's inspired congestion-tax for a less car-crazed Manhattan recently ground to a halt. So the New Yorker City business-minded billionaire boss may want too look to his fellow New Yorkers, and the Parisians, for ideas. The progressive French city launched an ambitious 10,000 bike strong program enabling people to get out of their cars and start sharing bikes.
Next time you are in Paris, be sure to take a tour starting at one of the 750 “docking stations” scattered throughout the city every 1000 feet. All you will need is your credit card, enough room on the card for a modest fee and where to pick up your next croissant. Since the stations are conveniently located....well...everywhere, including popular tourist destinations, locating a return station next to that favorite cafe will be no trouble at all.
The program is slated by Parisian City Hall officials to generate €30 million for the municipality, as identified by International Tribune writer, Katrin Bennhold.. The city swapped use of about 1,600 billboards throughout the city for the costs of the program including the docking stations, the bikes and bicycle upkeep.
The Parisian model is just one version of a system for Bicycle Sharing. In Frankfurt you can pay with a cell phone. And in Copenhagen you can just grab a bike and go, no fee.
Many versions are possible. In San Francisco? Who knows. But, once you get people to step outside of a car, anything is possible.
