Friday, April 26, 2013

Bike Share: Ready for Research

More than 500 cities in 49 countries host bike-sharing programs, with a combined fleet exceeding 500,000 bicycles, according to new research from Earth Policy Institute. Paris’ landmark VĂ©lib’ program, which was launched in 2007, now has company as cities around the world turn to bike-sharing—distributed networks of public bicycles used for short trips—as a way to enhance mobility, alleviate automotive congestion, reduce air pollution, boost health, support local businesses, and attract more young people. In the United States, more than two dozen cities have active public bike-sharing programs, including Washington, DC, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Boston, Miami Beach, Denver, Madison, and Ft. Worth. EPI’s Director of Research, Janet Larsen, points out that the number of American bike-sharing cities is set to double in the next couple years as large programs roll out in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, and San Francisco, among others. New York City will become the nation’s biggest program, though at an ultimate 10,000 bikes, it pales in comparison with the mega-programs in China that boast up to 90,000 bikes. Find your full overview of Bike Sharing systems in Velo Mondial's PAS-PORT to Cycling.

No comments: