Velib Challenges vandalism

Despite the vandalism problems not only a new and more vandalism-proof Vélib bike is now being developed but also that the scheme is expanded with another 300 hire stations and 3,300 bikes. Vélib is currently being rolled outside the city for the first time. Recently the first of 29 suburbs was plugged into the network. Before the end of the year the cycle hire scheme is to be extended to the suburbs surrounding the French capital. Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe, who championed the original scheme and who lobbied for it to be extended to the suburbs, recently inaugurated the Boulogne network. The expansion of the network is costing Paris city € 8 million. JC Decaux, the advertising group that covers the cost of Velib, picks up the bill for labour and local authorities for roadworks. The fact that Paris city is paying for the Vélib stations and bikes in the suburbs is part of a new deal called “Avenant no. 1” that was negotiated with JCDecaux. According to Vélib’s project manager Mathieu Fierling, it is agreed in the new deal with the outdoor advertising company that the Paris city will pay more for by vandalism damaged bikes. Read more in Bike Europe

BCYCLES

Velib with 20,000 shared bikes in the streets of the most spirited city in the world literally changed the face of Paris - overnight. B-cycle is the American answer. B-cycle is the zero-hassle, zero-emissions way to get around town. It's a bike sharing program that meets the transportation, health, and environmental needs of our communities. One that adapts to any size city, corporation or campus. It's wind in your hair, air in your lungs and bugs in your teeth. It's free and spontaneous but also organized and practical. B-cycle is the only "next"-generation bike-share program. Integrated data tracking will automatically capture information such as your distance traveled, equivalent calories burned and carbon offset after each ride. It will then upload this data to your personal user profile on Bcycle.com. B-cycle is the future of bike sharing, and it's available to your city now. B-cycle is a collaboration between three major players in three industries. • Humana • Trek Bicycle Corporation • Crispin Porter + Bogusky. All three share one common goal: cultural change. B-cycle will change the way you get around. And that will change our communities. So grab a B-cycle from the nearest B-station and we're on our way. Have a look here

Cycling on te Rise

When the Spicycles project was launched in 2006, cycling was not the “hot” mode of transport that it has become today. Spicycles wanted to gather experience related to specific areas of cycling policy and was keen to explore how key elements such as communication and awareness raising, and the building of local partnerships,might increase the modal share of cycling. The big expectations at the beginning of the project regarding cycling planning could not have predicted the explosion in the popularity of public bicycle systems that has taken place during Spicycles. In the course of the project, cycling became increasingly relevant to city policy makers and transport planners, as well as to citizens. As the project comes to an end Spicycles can conclude that huge strides have been made. Spicycles’ results can be read in the report 'Cycling on the Rise' and on the website http://spicycles.velo.info, which also features an innovative inter-active map for cycling planning, a benchmarking tool and a pool of consultants.

New York's Sustainable Street Index 2008

Enhancing transportation choices and encouraging the use of sustainable forms of transportation are core goals of both PlaNYC, New York City’s long-term sustainability plan, and Sustainable Streets, the New York City Department of Transportation’s strategic plan. Achieving these goals means facilitating walking, cycling and mass transit through a set of varied and mutually supportive measures. These include making streets and squares into more people-friendly places; providing fast, reliable and comfortable bus and train service; better managing curbside parking and delivery regulations; and ensuring the safety of all users of city streets and sidewalks. Delivering on these goals requires a comprehensive understanding of how New Yorkers currently use the city’s streets and transportation systems, and current and historic trends in mobility and travel choices. By bringing together data on motor vehicle, transit, bicycle and ferry use, this report shows how travelers are changing the ways they travel in the face of the population and employment growth of recent years and of changes in transportation systems and operations. Have a look at the full report.

Utrecht obtains second clean beer boat

The beerboat navigates through the canals of downtown Utrecht to supply hotels, bars and restaurants with goods. The first boat is such a success, that a second one is required. This second boat will be a special one: completely electric, without any damaging emissions. On Saturday January 31st the building contract was signed at the VOC-museumship in Amsterdam, in the presence of Utrecht Alderman Robert Giesberts. Already in 1966 the City of Utrecht introduced the first beerboat to save the monumental bridges and roads near the canals from heavy freight traffic. Because of the increased demand for waterborne transport, it was decided in 2008 to introduce a second beerboat. This second boat will be the first electrically driven ship of the Netherlands where even the (off-)loading will be done electrically. An electric crane will rack heavy goods, such as barrels of beer, from the ship to the shore and vice versa. The boat will yearly emit 16,5 tons of CO2 less than regular freight traffic would. This is the equivalent of eleven football fields of forest. The electric beerboat is charged with ‘green’ electricity and can navigate for eight to nine hours at a time. Read more about Utrecht's sustainable mobility approach in CIVITAS MIMOSA.

Solid Gold from The Netherlands

Despite the increasing distances covered by the Dutch, the bicycle has retained its popularity. The bicycle is used for more than a quarter of all journeys. In fact for distances up to 7.5 km, the bicycle is the most popular means of transport. In 2007, 34% of all trips up to 7.5 km were made by bicycle. Bicycle use very much depends on the distance covered. As 70% of all journeys in the Netherlands are still shorter than 7.5 km, the strong position of the bicycle over short distances (35%) also extends into the total modality split (27% bicycle). At the same time, it is interesting to note that the bicycle is regularly chosen above 7.5 km: 15% of journeys in the category 7.5-15 km. In the Netherlands, the use of bicycles is not restricted solely to school-going children. The high overall cycling proportion (26%) is far more due to the fact that the bicycle achieves a more or less comparable share in all travel motives – and particularly in the most important motives in terms of scope, such as commuter travel and shopping. Many people do not make absolute choices between using the car or the bicycle over shorter distances. The latest version of Cycling in The Netherands gives you a peek in the Dutch Bicycle Kitchen.

Boost for E-Bikes

The Italian Government is currently examining a proposal by the industry organization ANCMA for a major tax incentive on e-Bikes. Like in all EU countries, the Italians are looking for new means to cut emission rates in their urban areas. In order to stimulate the use of sustainable forms of mobility as alternatives of motor vehicles the Italian Government wants to grant 30% restitution on all e-Bikes. It is generally expected that this incentive will boost the sale of e-Bikes tremendously. When successful it might even be a good example for other national Governments within the European Union as a means to reduce emission rates. The e-Bike meant in the proposal is limited to a “pedal assisted bicycle equipped with an auxiliary electric motor with a maximum power output of 250 Watt whose power is gradually reduced and stopped at 25 km/h or when the cyclist stops cycling.” The 30% restitution is limited up to € 700 of the retail price including VAT. All applicable e-Bikes will be specified by the Ministry of Environment in advance and updated annually. Have a look at some of these YouTube films

Shared space gaining momentum

Both in the Netherlands and abroad increasing numbers of roads are being designed in accordance with the Shared Space philosophy. Recent publications demonstrate that some dozen towns in the Netherlands are using or considering Shared Space. In the rest of Europe the design philosophy is gaining adherents as well. In the Shared Space approach public spaces form the heart of society. They are areas where you stay, where you meet others, where you observe, where you undertake something with or without others, where you relax, where you become familiar and part of the living environment. Public spaces also enable you to look at what people are saying about themselves - in the way in which they present themselves or in the way in which they design and modify their own spaces, their house or their garden. Staying in a public space enables us to remain up to date with the world and the environment in which we live or stay. The layout of the public space tells us what society looks like, who forms part of it, how people deal with each other and what they consider important. It is a window on and a mirror of society. Shared Space views public spaces first and foremost as spaces for people. Read more. & Click here for more pictures in Drachten, The Netherlands. The slide show opens and closes with a few examples of spectacular bike bridges and of bike parking facilities at a random Dutch railway station.

Hot mode of transport

When the Spicycles project was launched in 2006, cycling was not the ‘hot’ mode of transport that it has become today. As project partners, we wanted to gather experience related to specific areas of cycling policy. We were keen to explore how key elements such as communication and awareness raising, and the building of local partnerships, might increase the modal share of cycling. We had big expectations at the beginning of the project regarding cycling planning, but could not have predicted the explosion in the popularity of public bicycle systems that has taken place during Spicycles. In the course of the project, cycling became increasingly relevant to city policy makers and transport planners, as well as to citizens. This interest was heightened by the looming economic crisis: petrol prices rose dramatically, and economic recession became a reality. Public discussion of issues such as those raised in Al Gore’s documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” began to change people’s way of thinking, and from being regarded as ‘old-fashioned’, cycling was increasingly perceived as a relevant and contemporary mode of transport. Read more of this article in V1 Magazine.

Amsterdam Best Green Transport Capital of Europe

The Best Green Capital Award for Europe in the category Transport would have been won - hands down - by Amsterdam if there was one. The Jury Report of the Best Green Capital in Europe mentions: 'Amsterdam has a transport situation which is very favourable for bicycles and public transport and restrictive to individual motorized transport in the city, without aiming to restrict overall mobility. In the city of Amsterdam bicycles are the most commonly used means of transport. In addition, the city has a public transport fleet which is 100% low emissions. Successful measures to enhance cycling further and reduce car traffic to city, starting from already high level have been introduced in recent years. A very wide range of transport measures are planned or currently being implemented, including further expansions of bicycle and public transport networks, road charging experiments anticipating the national scheme, more park and ride facilities, further parking restrictions, priorities for parking to car sharing organisations, environmental zones, incentives to scrap polluting cars, stimuli to use electric cars, electric support for pleasure craft use, and more. Also freight transport and waste transport are considered. Overall Amsterdam has an impressive transport policy legacy and promising outlooks.' Read the full jury report here.