SEE!

Paris Bike Share Woes Greatly Exaggerated - LINK

Paris Bike Share Problems or Excuses

Photo Credit: Bike Share Blog

BBC Article about Paris Bike Share Link

Response:

Don't Let Advertising Company Fool You.

There are many issues that I have with this article. The 3rd Generation of Bike Share programs make the users financially responsible for the bicycles when they are rented out. If that is the case and many of the bicycles are stolen, users would be required to pay for the bicycles and be no cost to the program (JCDecaux). Why are stolen bicycles costing the company money?

How are the bicycles being stolen? If the bicycles are being stolen right from the racks/kiosks themselves, the JCDecaux is at fault and should start to consider higher security on the locking of the bikes into place. New bicycle share companies are coming out with their own locking technology that may be better than past models. Stay tuned.

The Paris model has been the prototype for bike sharing since its inception. I don't claim that JCDecaux had seen this coming but it seems obvious and pretty one-sided in retrospect. JCDecaux doesn't care about getting people out of single occupancy vehicles, they care about dollars and cents. When it seems that Velib may be losing money, let us not forget the billions of dollars they are making from the 10-year contract they signed for outdoor advertising in Paris. It is a sign of greed that while the bike sharing aspect may be more expensive than they had anticipated, they still make billions from the city. They can say they want out of bike sharing in Paris and the city can't exactly pull the bike sharing stations out of the ground and inconvenience citizens who rely on Velib to commute to work. The city has received worldwide acclaim for its green transportation initiatives, it will be very difficult for them to stop now. Velib and JCDecaux have taken such a deep root in the city that it seems they hold the cards in renegotiating their contract. Their greed (and perhaps their foresight) is sad and unfortunate.

This can't stop bike sharing from happening. It is sad to see that when one advertising giant chooses to leverage their position against a city that the world takes notice. We can't let some flaws in the relationship between Paris and an advertising giant dictate the global attitude towards bicycle sharing. Is theft and vandalism and excuse for JCDecaux to get money from Paris? Should the penalty be raised for not returning a bicycle? How is JCDecaux losing money? Can somebody find some numbers?

For the past few years I have been following the ups and downs of bike sharing in the world. More press should have been generated daily about the positive impact bicycle sharing was having on the environment, economy, and health of the population. It is crazy how the press and blogs are quick to jump on negativity. Negative press such as this should only be a minor speed bump in the road towards future transportation. We can't let people sitting on their butts in front of their computers or ad execs in their ivory towers control the way active people live.

Minneapolis Bike Share Pushed Back?

Bike Sharing in Minneapolis? LINK

I was under the impression that Minneapolis was a go for bike sharing. This seems odd to me that they are looking for ideas and sharing information rather than moving it along. Has the city lost funding? Was the project too expensive? Any thoughts on this matter would be welcomed.

Articles

Here are some more relevant articles:

The Collegiate Bicycle Company adds new bicycle programs to resume:

University of California - Irvine Bike Sharing Page - Link
Mississippi State University Launches Manual Bike Share - Link

Interesting Google Map of Bike Sharing Link
Milan and Istanbul Receive Award for Bike Sharing Link
New York Moving Towards European Feel Link
Baltimore Getting More Bike Friendly Link
The Psychology of Sharing Link
$100 Fine for opening car door into cyclist! Link
New York City wins Award for Sustainability Plan Link
Auto Bailout Good but Cars are Cash-Guzzlers!!! Link
Brisbane Bike Share Link

NUBIJA - Korea's Bike Sharing Network to Begin

• Official Site - Link
• Treehugger Description - Link
• Simple Description - Link

Arrrrrticles

Ottawa Bike Share Pilot - Link
Bike Sharing in Ottawa - Link
Austin Bike Share Far Off - Link
Denver is Making Moves - Link
Landscape & Urbanism (Green Streets, Cool Pictures) - Link
Increasing Carsharing in Paris - Link

I thought this was a joke. But it is very, very real.

Bicycle Condoms? For the germophobe Link
Response Article to Bike Condoms Link