Green bikes sprouting up all over
Well, Montreal’s Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood (my ‘hood) has a new “free bike” program, called Bécikvert. They have a pool of 20 green-painted bikes, to start out, and all you need to do is exchange a piece of photo ID for the bike. Your ID is returned when the bike is returned. They have various kinds of bikes, different styles to meet all tastes. You also have access to special offers and discounts at various shops along Mont-Royal while you are in possession of the bike!
In Barcelona, meanwhile, the “green” bikes are actually red. They have a major new bike pool program this year, called Bicing. Theirs is far more ambitious, on a much larger scale. Although not free, it’s a great deal at 24€ per year. For that rate, you can borrow a bike (you swipe your personal access smart-card to unlock them from large racks) anytime for up to 30 minutes, without additional charges. If you want to borrow longer (up to two hours), you pay a small amount for the rental. You are not allowed to borrow for more than two hours — the idea of the program is for the bike as a means of point-to-point transport, a supplement to public transit and thus a car replacement. And the pool stays “afloat” in this way. If certain stops are underserved, then there are vehicles which move around rebalancing the load, delivering bikes when they are needed at “empty” stations. They claim to do this very quickly, so if there is ever any waiting, it is minimal. It would be good to hear from folks in Barcelona who’ve tried it, to see just how well it actually works. I imagine there are a few startup glitches, but the basic idea is great.
There are pickup/drop spots all over the city, especially linked with metro stations, bus and tram stops, and so the idea is to grab a bike and go wherever you’re going, then “return” the bike there. Later, you take a different bike to your next destination. You could spend all day hopping from location to location, for free! They currently have “only” 1,500 bikes, and that will double by the end of the year. You can even check bicycle availability in real time on the internet, since the whole thing is automated. I don’t think they offer helmets, though…so bring your own! I wouldn’t want to ride without one in Barcelona, although you may look like a freak because no one seems to wear them there.
These are both great initiatives which, coupled with increasing numbers of bike lanes and better driver awareness(!) will hopefully start to transform our cities. Not only making them more “green”, but making for healthier (and happier, I would hope) citizens. Already 80,000 people have signed on in Barcelona for annual memberships in bicing! Of course, it would be silly to offer year-round memberships in wintry Montreal…our trial program only runs during the summer this year, until September.