The Velib- 05/29/08

 
There’s a trendy two wheeled accessory taking over the streets in the most fashionable of European capital cities.

Velib, a rentable bicycle system in Paris, France logged 2 million two wheeled journeys in its first 40 days of operation. The initiative, a brainchild of Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe and launched in July 2007, exemplifies the ingenuity that is needed to reduce our carbon footprint in urban areas creating the most pollution on our environment.

The system is compromised of 20,000 bikes spread among 1,450 automated stations where bicycles can be rented electronically. The innovative scheme is nuanced in some very key ways. First, the system promotes replacing motorized vehicles for short trips. The first 30 minutes on the Velib are free to the user (with membership, about $40 US yearly, with monthly and daily rates also available) the next 30 minutes costing $1.45, and the amount slides up the longer you ride.

The emphasis on short rides helps the Velib to circulate widely and become a more efficient form of urban transportation. The Velib cycles get much more use than an average bicycles because the can be ridden 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. An average bicycle covers about 200 kilometers per year while a Velib cycle may cover at least 50 kilomters per day, or 18,250 kilometers a year.

The Velib is a heavy and bulky vehicle which limits the need for maintenance and makes it less attractive to thieves. Each bicycle has a basket and lock for quick stops. The mayor hopes the Velib system will be used similar to public transport, avoiding car use, pollution and traffic in the city streets. The Velib sees increased use past 1am, when the metro has closed and partygoers are looking for a cheap alternative to a taxi ride home.

Whatever reason they are being used, the Velib system is a shining example of that the bicycle can mass appeal in urban, developed areas, where alternatives to carbon producing motorized vehicles are truly needed.