DISQUS

Nick_the_Dog · 1 year ago

Thanks, Chris, for the interesting story! I really like the way Europeans think.

elRey · 1 year ago

bicing is wonderful, however, it's not for tourists. To register and get a card to use the bicing system if you are not a Spanish citizen, you must have an NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) like a resident alien card, easier to get if you already have an EU passport, more difficult for Americans.

When they started this system the folks who rent bikes to tourists complained loudly, so its main purpose is for local commuters. As a tourist, there are many options to rent bikes, its a great city for biking, tons of bike paths all over the city, and along the beach. BCN Rocks! ME ENCANTA!

Charel · 1 year ago

How about the electric car sharing that is being tried out in Germany?

green_libertarian · 1 year ago

Commie.

akryan · 1 year ago

I remember when i was in Leverkusen there were thousands of "courtesy bikes" that had been provided by Bayer. Everybody had one. They need to learn to pimp their rides though. All the bikes looked exactly the same. If you didn't remember where you locked your's up you'd never find it again. Still, I though it was really cool that a company would do that for the community.

cereal · 1 year ago

as elRey points out, these systems are good for locals, not visitors - you can't casually pick one up, you have to subscribe, get a card, pay by the month etc. But of course for tourists, there are already bike rentals.

These systems are fantastic and will hopefully spread all over. For short trips round town, shopping, going to lunch, of late-night going home from places after public transport shuts down or slows down, you can't beat having the bike, plus the convenience of taking it A to B and just leaving it there, or going A to B to C, etc. It's massively popular in Paris. (even here in Holland, where there are more bikes than people so one might think this would not be needed, there is something similar - the "OV Fiets" system, which is short term bike rentals at train and tram stations. It's for folks coming to another town for work or whatever, to have a bike for a few hours. As in Spain, it does not directly compete with tourist bike rentals.)

It's too bad that many American cities won't be able to really use this - too many cities were built for cars and are thus both too spread out and too dangerous for bikes (no bike lanes or small streets where all traffic is slower and more careful). This would not work in LA, Phoenix, Tulsa, etc. it's too bad. biking would help not only the environment, local businesses, and traffic, it would help Americans become less morbidly obese and unhealthy.

Maybe even the larger America towns could still try to find a use for these systems in certain neighborhoods or (whatever is left of) downtown.

ShirleyGoodnessanMercy · 1 year ago

Washington DC is doing this, mostly in the central part of the city.

ekwhite · 1 year ago

What a great idea! Simple, cheap and friendly. If Barcelona can do it, why can't Los Angeles?

ShirleyGoodnessanMercy · 1 year ago

They have a HUGE free bikes program in Copenhagen. In fact, I'm pretty sure Copenhagen did it first.