Bicycle frenzy in full swing
Almost two years ago during a trip to Lyon, I was amongst the first to experience an innovative and genius new scheme giving city dwellers the opportunity to travel round the city by bike. Moreover, I don’t seem to remember paying a single Euro for the pleasure. Gone were the days of gazing haphazardly into a labyrinth like map of bus routes; no more extortionate taxi rides either. All I had to do was jump on a push bike and peddle to my hearts content.
Last week, months after Sir Nicholas Stern put ecology back on the political agenda in Europe and Nicholas Hulot – France’s most renowned ecologist – transformed the majority of the French presidential candidates into a bunch of ‘tree-huggers’, Paris launched Velib; a combination of the two words vélo and liberté.
Of course, every council or government driven scheme in France must surely incorporate the notion of liberty or freedom. However, I do feel that Velib delivers on exactly that, seeing as I avoided the often uncomfortable journey underground into the metro where hot air meets angry folk from the city.
Yesterday I bought my first five Euro week pass allowing me unlimited bike riding round the whole of inner city Paris. To the left hand side of the Pantheon, parallel to the final resting place of enlightenment writer, Voltaire, I fittingly mounted my freedom vélo and rode north across the river to Chatêlet. I made full use of the three gears and comedy sounding bell, both of which were often employed due to a combination of blind Brits unaware of the traffic’s direction and a bike whose acceleration was somewhat lacking.
By the time I arrived at Chatêlet I wasn’t feeling quite so liberated. Although I traveled at a leisurely pace, the constant stopping and starting at traffic lights as well as the leg buckling task of getting back up to full speed had sure enough taken its toll. Nonetheless, Velib is a great initiative and a great way to see the city above ground. I feel I am partly obliged to raise my fitness levels to meet my freedom vélo half way on this one.
In a few weeks time all the bike stations will be fully installed meaning every 300 meters Parisian bike riders will be able to hop on and off at the change of a gear. Velib bike stations will no doubt take up the limited car parking spaces that are on offer to the city’s drivers. Incidentally, I do not foresee Velib curbing the traffic problems during rush hour. Rather, drivers will have to pay extra care on the road due to an infestation of 350,000 freedom riders set to use the bikes every week.
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
sounds like you will have your very own "tour de France" every day..."tour de Paris"..."tour de rue"???!!!
I think it is a great idea, Sydney would certainly benefit, but only if they built tunnels under the streets to rid the surface of trucks and cars, then it would transform the city experience, maybe even rickshaws for the less active, or you could simply drive your car in underground and enter the building you want from there. Maybe moving walkways for the infirm and elderly?
I know, I dream, but one thing troubles me, although the Parisian system sounds sounds well planned, a bike station every 300 metres, what happens when the spaces are full, which will be inevitable?
Will people just leave them on the footpath because they do not have to register their identity to get the bike?
cheers and beers
fog