New York Cycling Debate and Much More

Study of Cyclists Behavior by Hunter College Professor -
Click Here
Response to Study of Cyclists Behavior By Hunter College - Click Here
Another Response -
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Please read the comments, many very informed questions and comments.



More Articles:
CNN Article City Bike Sharing Picks Up Speed - Click Here
Rome Bike Share Returning June 1, (with some changes) - Click Here
Interesting Little Article About Transportation Choice - Click Here
I don't know who wrote this one but I couldn't agree more! - Click Here
Article about new navigation apps - Click Here
Uh-Oh Melbourne bike share off to slow start (Web interest may not translate?) - Click Here
Paul DeMaio Article from Commuter Pages - Click Here

Utterly Unsexy - Velib's Opposite Program - Click Here
My Response: Low tech, recycled bike programs are a good way to increase cycling IN THEORY. When you add the cost of labor to refurbish old bikes, the cost of acquiring the bikes, and the cost of replacement parts to get the bike rolling, you might as well look into a custom bicycle program. Uniform, high quality bicycles are the best way to ensure a successful program. It is proven, however, that these programs do not have the longevity of a high tech bike program. Hence, the development of the 3rd Generation Bicycle Sharing Programs!

Clever way to encourage cycling in Copenhagen - Click Here
My Response: It is important to celebrate milestones for bicycling to enrich the bicycle culture and maintain its permanency in the community.

Here is a video featuring the new buses in Paris to redistribute the bikes. Translation not included.

Un nouveau bus pour réguler Vélib'
Uploaded by mairiedeparis. - News videos from around the world.
Thank you to The Bike Sharing Blog for the video tip!

The following links regarding Minneapolis were found at this blog (Click Here):

• Behm, Jon (February 8, 2009) Bike sharing planned for Minneapolis Twin Cities Daily Planet
• Nealis, Wayne (May 20, 2009) 1,000 Bikes coming to Minneapolis? Twin Cities Daily Planet
• Louwagie, Pam (February 21, 2009) Whistleblower: Is 1-mile bike path worth $9.2 million? StarTribune
• Wallace, William (February 22, 2009) Liberal infrastructure: $9.2 million for 1-mile bike path CoincidenceTheories.com

CORRECTION: The article from Time Magazine in my previous post stated that the Taiwan bike share program will be the first of its kind in Asia. This is not so. To clarify, programs have been started in Korea, China, and Thailand. My apologies!

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.