Angelina Lopez is a junior at Macalester College. She’s currently Transit for Livable Communities’ Media Relations and Communications intern, and she’s also a very passionate transiteer (definition: lover and frequent user of transit). Check out her thoughts on Paris’ Velib. ~Katie

After I got home (Albuquerque, NM) for summer break from Macalester College last spring, I decided to radically reduce my driving and bike or use public transit. What began as a moral decision quickly became one of the most empowering and awakening changes I have made in my life. Never before had I understood the potential power of my body and my bicycle, nor had I conceptualized the heat (often upwards of 95°F) as less a discomfort than an aspect of my ‘habitat.’ I explored many side streets, learned to appreciate the distinct character of neighborhoods, and met engaged communities of people. Though I set out to reduce my carbon footprint, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of other benefits of biking. I’m not alone.

You can imagine why I think Paris’ new bicycle rental program couldn’t have picked a more appropriate name: Vélib, short for “vélo libre” or “vélo liberté”, translating to free bicycle or bicycle freedom. Thousands of specially designed bicycles await riders, who rent the bikes by swiping a credit card through the kiosk, accessing an individual account, and then pedaling off to their destination. To ensure that the bikes are returned, the company gets deposit authorization for 150 euros. The first half hour is free, with charges accruing by the half hour after that.

San Francisco and Portland have gotten attention for their interest in developing their own bicycle rental programs, though community shares and private rentals already exist in at least 38 U.S. states. If the 7.5 million miles already ridden by Parisians in the last three months are any indication, this inspired market-based innovation has major potential in U.S. cities to supply a mounting demand for solutions to pressing issues: climate change, congestion, obesity, community building, and smart (re)growth. Civil society and private enterprise have begun to make more bikes available to individuals. Now, it’s time for our legislators to step up to meet the growing need for safe bicycle routes.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, October 25th, 2007 at 9:27 am by Katie and is filed under Transit and Transportation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.