A New Fashion Catches On in Paris - Cheap Bicycle Rentals

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.<p>Also, pretty much every street here has a dedicated cycle lane on each side of the road.<p><a href="http://www.bycyklen.dk/english/thecitybikeandcopenhagen.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.bycyklen.dk/english/thecitybikeandcopenhagen.aspx</a>

The "white bicycle" concept dates from 1965 and was proposed by Provo, a Dutch counter-culture movement. In a manifest (see <a href="http://www.gramschap.nl/provo/chrono/prpk5.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://www.gramschap.nl/provo/chrono/prpk5.jpg</a>) 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.

This kind of projects brings fun traffic management challenges.<p>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.<p>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.<p>That was Fall 2007.

As China embraces the car, Paris embraces the bicycle.<p><a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-11/11/content_390685.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-11/11/content_...</a>

It's coming in Montreal too in Fall 2008: <a href="http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=654c09d8-d549-4dd1-a3f8-b294b2aef3df" rel="nofollow">http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=654...</a><p>From the Gazette's article: <i>Montreal plans to be the first city in North America to set up a large-scale "self-serve" public bicycle rental service.</i>

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

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.

There is a program in Barcelona, too (<a href="http://www.bicing.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.bicing.com/</a>).

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

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.