Comments on: If The People Of Paris Cannot Be Trusted To Share Bikes, How Can We Trust You, Philly?

By: bikesharephiladelphia

bikesharephiladelphia — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:48:33 +0000

Paris is still one of the best bike sharing cities in the world. This year it has expanded by 3000 more bikes (not replacements) and 300 new stations in 30 suburban communities around Paris. Steven Erlangers article in Saturday’s NY Times was not as factual as it should have been. The $3500 per bike was the cost of installing the program, that is putting in all the stations, the office, the computers, the employees, the maintenance shops, the “green” maintenance vehicles, everything!
At up to 150,000 bike usages a day, if ten percent replaced automobiles trips, which would be 15,000 less cars on the street a day. Also with 150,000 usages a day there got to be damage and theft. What was not reported is the 150 bikes are recovered every day. Even with the Vélib’s blemishes, and with our own bourgeois-bohèmes of Center City riding them, a bike sharing program like Vélib’ in Philadelphia would reduce traffic congestion, reduces CO₂ emissions, maybe help with our overweight population. It could change Philadelphia into a better city while adding a little change into the city’s coffers!www.bikesharephiladelphia.org

By: barryg

barryg — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:58:24 +0000

Class wars are actually way worse in France than here–remember those riots in the Paris ‘burbs a couple years back? And anarchism in Europe tends to be a real lifestyle, not just a fashion decision.

@arcticsplasher, I think a bike share would be great for plugging the holes in SEPTA. It would be awesome to take the Sub down to South St, bike over to QV, then cab it home, for example.

By: jburnside

jburnside — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:11:07 +0000

uh oh, trouble in socialist paradise.
Imagine that

By: John Lightstone

John Lightstone — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:59:11 +0000

Shouldn’t the logo look more like this?

http://i37.tinypic.com/2dily1c.jpg

By: Patricio

Patricio — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:46:07 +0000

I’m not surprised by Paree’ and their lack of success with this.

Paris ain’t just poodles, baguettes, & wine.

By: arcticsplasher

arcticsplasher — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:41:28 +0000

I love bikes and stuff, but bikeshare seems like a weird concept for a city the size and likeness of Philly. I can’t understand who it would serve: Center City is as walkable as downtowns get and anyone who needs a bike in town can already easily bring bikes into town on SEPTA or leave em downtown overnight (the plaza in back of 1515 Market is a huge unofficial downtown bike pod for train commuters.) And for anyone living in the city, the cost of a bike is pretty low, so I’m not sure why anyone would bother with a share program. Wouldn’t the bikeshare effort be better spent on more bike racks, “share the road” signs, bike lanes, etc?

By: John Lightstone

John Lightstone — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:15:35 +0000

Paris, c’est pourquoi vous ne pouvez pas avoir des choses gentilles.

By: Larry

Larry — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:56:55 +0000

My favorite part:

“The heavy, sandy-bronze Vélib’ bicycles are seen as an accoutrement of the “bobos,” or “bourgeois-bohèmes,” the trendy urban middle class, and they stir resentment and covetousness.”

Or, in American: HIPSTERS!

I can see it now: Hipsters in Fishtown and Northern Liberties complaining how their bike from the Philly Bike Share was stolen from outside the crappy rundown building they parked in front of.

Oh, the LULZ! The lulz will be EPIC!