פורסם: 20 ביולי 2012, 4:00 על ידי: Sustainability Org
[
עודכן 20 ביולי 2012, 5:46
]
It's a revolution in people power: Sharing bikes for short trips to take cars off the road. A bicycle built for two ... hundred  About 2,000 of Tel Aviv's distinctive green three-gear bicycles (right) are available for tourists and residents. Annual membership costs about 280 shekels, or $71. Bicycles are the world's most popular form of transit: About 133 million were produced last year, a nearly 600% increase from 1960 and more than twice the number of cars manufactured in 2011. Sharing programs, where members can pick up and drop off bikes at street-side rental stations, are on the rise in cities. In 2007 there were 60 such programs worldwide; today there are nearly 450. And soon, New York City. By the numbers 70,000: The number of bicycles Wuhan, China, says are in its bike-share system, the largest in the world. In some Chinese cities, as much as half the population commutes by bike (in the Netherlands, it's 30%). The country also makes about two-thirds of the world's cycles. $1,600: The average cost per year to maintain a shared bike. In New York City's setup, which makes its debut this summer (at 10,000 bikes, the largest program in North America), borrowing a bike will cost $95 a year; in London it is $70 a year; in Paris it's about $36. $41 million: Amount paid by Citigroup to sponsor New York City's soon-to-launch 600-station service (called Citi Bike), which is being installed at no cost to taxpayers. In Europe many programs are run by advertising agencies such as Clear Channel Outdoor and JCDecaux.
Montreal In its infancy Montreal's bike-share program was hailed as one of the "best inventions of 2008" by Time. Called Bixi (short for "bike" and "taxi"), the system has so far failed to turn a profit. The city of Montreal bailed Bixi out last year to the tune of $108 million in debt payment and loan guarantees.
Washington D.C. Launched in 2010, there are now more than 1,500 bikes in D.C.'s rapidly expanding Capital Bikeshare program. Starting at $7 a day, or $75 a year, Capital Bikeshare's 18,000 members report increased bike use and lower transportation costs.
Paris Bike sharing has become ubiquitous in Paris since the program's 2007 launch. Vélib (a mashup of the French words for "bike" and "freedom") is operated by advertising agency JCDecaux and boasts more than 20,000 bikes. Some 1,800 stations are scattered every 1,000 or so feet throughout central Paris.
Valencia As in Paris, Valencia's year-round bike-share service, Valenbisi, is operated by advertising company JCDecaux. The system offers 2,750 distinctive purple bicycles at 275 stations. Annual membership costs about $30.
Chattanooga Originally planned for fall 2011, Chattanooga's 300-bike system has had months of delays. Most of its 30 stations are now on the ground in what's said to be the final testing phase before its official launch. Alta Bicycle Share, the same company that will run New York City's system, is overseeing operations.
Tokyo Though Tokyo does not yet have a formal citywide bike-sharing program, private bike rental companies make up some of the difference. The membership-based Cogicogi network offers the first half-hour free.
London London's popular bike share system is nicknamed Boris Bikes, for the city's charismatic mayor. Formally called Barclay's Cycle Hire, the program has been expanding, adding thousands this year alone.
Hangzhou, China Hangzhou is in contention for the largest bike-sharing system in the world, with a reported 60,000 bikes. China, long known as the Bicycle Kingdom, has struggled somewhat in recent years to make biking cool for an increasingly wealthy urban population.
Boulder Boulder's B-cycle program is a nonprofit organization, with funds provided through donations, government grants, and user fees. The relatively small program, with 110 bikes and 15 stations, saw 18,500 trips since it launched last year.
PrintOffered by the Deutsche Bahn railway company, Germany's Call a Bike system allows riders to use their cellphones to unlock bikes that are left near train stations.
Wuhan, China If government releases are to be believed, Wuhan takes the cake for the world's largest bikeshare system, with a whopping 70,000 (and more on the way).
Related articles: |
|
