A New Fashion Catches On in Paris - Cheap Bicycle Rentals • Hacker News Board

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

Re: A New Fashion Catches On in Paris - Cheap Bicycle Rentals

#6

Post by cawel » Sun, Jul 13, 2008, 2:48 PM UTC

It's coming in Montreal too in Fall 2008: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=654...

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.

Re: A New Fashion Catches On in Paris - Cheap Bicycle Rentals

#7

Post by cawel » Sun, Jul 13, 2008, 2:59 PM UTC

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.

Re: A New Fashion Catches On in Paris - Cheap Bicycle Rentals

#8

Post by cawel » Sun, Jul 13, 2008, 3:08 PM UTC

pg wrote: post #2

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.

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).

Re: A New Fashion Catches On in Paris - Cheap Bicycle Rentals

#9

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Jul 13, 2008, 3:09 PM UTC

pg wrote: post #2

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.

[deleted]

Re: A New Fashion Catches On in Paris - Cheap Bicycle Rentals

#10

Post by felixmar » Sun, Jul 13, 2008, 3:23 PM UTC

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.