ParisSnooze: Velib Bike Scheme Huge Success
Sep 26th, 2007, 10:35 AM
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ParisSnooze: Velib Bike Scheme Huge Success
Kerouac has recently posted about the success of Paris' ballyhooed Velib' self-service bicycle rental scheme, which opened for business July 1, 2007.
Velib' is a word derived from velo (bike) and liberte (freedom) and was modeled after Velo V, a similar program began in Lyon in 2005 and hugely successful, with now some 70,000 subscribers and 25,000 bike miles clocked in each day. Both Lyon and Paris programs are sponsored by JCDecaux, the outdoor advertising company - JCD provides the cycles, lock up stations and maintenance for Velib' in exchange for rights to 1,628 billboards around Paris.
Velib' factoids:
initially 10,648 bikes and 750 stations - with the goal of by year end 20,600 cycles and 1,451 stations.
...the bike itself is a grey 3-speed 50-pound 'tour de force' that comes with a basket, automatic lioghts and adjustable seats.
...available 24 hours/day/7 days/wk
..three subscription options - 1 day 1 euro; 1 wk = 5 e; year 29 euros. First half-hour is free for any ride - 2nd 30 mins costs 1 euro; third is 2 euros and each subsequent half-hour 4 euros (so not a cheap way to get around Paris for going to museums, etc.)
bikes not returned? client charged 150 euros
rental info is in 8 languages to encourage tourists to use
Velib' does not provide helmets
currently averaging 50,000-70,000 rentals a day
Sat Aug 4 one day record 97,000 journeys
Paris officials say Velib' will bring some 30,000,000 euros to public coffers
paris currently has 230 miles of bike lanes, a figure officials hope to raise by 40%
by the end of 2008
www.velib.paris.fr
Thus the petite reine, or the bicycle has taken to Parisian streets like crazy.
Velib' is a word derived from velo (bike) and liberte (freedom) and was modeled after Velo V, a similar program began in Lyon in 2005 and hugely successful, with now some 70,000 subscribers and 25,000 bike miles clocked in each day. Both Lyon and Paris programs are sponsored by JCDecaux, the outdoor advertising company - JCD provides the cycles, lock up stations and maintenance for Velib' in exchange for rights to 1,628 billboards around Paris.
Velib' factoids:
initially 10,648 bikes and 750 stations - with the goal of by year end 20,600 cycles and 1,451 stations.
...the bike itself is a grey 3-speed 50-pound 'tour de force' that comes with a basket, automatic lioghts and adjustable seats.
...available 24 hours/day/7 days/wk
..three subscription options - 1 day 1 euro; 1 wk = 5 e; year 29 euros. First half-hour is free for any ride - 2nd 30 mins costs 1 euro; third is 2 euros and each subsequent half-hour 4 euros (so not a cheap way to get around Paris for going to museums, etc.)
bikes not returned? client charged 150 euros
rental info is in 8 languages to encourage tourists to use
Velib' does not provide helmets
currently averaging 50,000-70,000 rentals a day
Sat Aug 4 one day record 97,000 journeys
Paris officials say Velib' will bring some 30,000,000 euros to public coffers
paris currently has 230 miles of bike lanes, a figure officials hope to raise by 40%
by the end of 2008
www.velib.paris.fr
Thus the petite reine, or the bicycle has taken to Parisian streets like crazy.
Sep 26th, 2007, 11:05 AM
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Similar mass transit bike programs are being considered in Wash DC, Chicago and NYC
Correction - about not being good for going to museums - major gaffe as of course you'd return the bike before going in the museum. In fact if your rides were not more than 30 mins you'd only pay 1 euro for the whole day.
Other European towns have similar bike programs but none seems so ambitious as Paris.
In Germany DB (German railways) have rental bikes posted around towns, but they are rather pricey it seems.
In Florence last winter i stumbled on some free bikes, few of which seemed to be used or even useable
Copenhagen apparently has a similar scheme.
Amsterdam tried free bikes once but they disappeared right away it seems
But great for traveler in that many European cities seem destined to do these bike schemes that will give tourists a very different perspective of the city as opposed to metros, etc.
Vive Velib'
Correction - about not being good for going to museums - major gaffe as of course you'd return the bike before going in the museum. In fact if your rides were not more than 30 mins you'd only pay 1 euro for the whole day.
Other European towns have similar bike programs but none seems so ambitious as Paris.
In Germany DB (German railways) have rental bikes posted around towns, but they are rather pricey it seems.
In Florence last winter i stumbled on some free bikes, few of which seemed to be used or even useable
Copenhagen apparently has a similar scheme.
Amsterdam tried free bikes once but they disappeared right away it seems
But great for traveler in that many European cities seem destined to do these bike schemes that will give tourists a very different perspective of the city as opposed to metros, etc.
Vive Velib'
Sep 26th, 2007, 11:13 AM
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"Correction - about not being good for going to museums - major gaffe as of course you'd return the bike before going in the museum. In fact if your rides were not more than 30 mins you'd only pay 1 euro for the whole day ">
It was my understanding that the 1€ daily pass was good for 24 hours>
It was my understanding that the 1€ daily pass was good for 24 hours>
Sep 26th, 2007, 11:18 AM
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I believe the one euro is a day's subscription but if you go over 30 mins each ride you start to pay and pay more the longer you keep the bike.
I quote direct from a press release i got from the French Embassy:
"Another advantage is the program's moderate price. Riders' can chose from one of 3 subscription plans - one day, one week or one year (1 euro, 5 euros, 29 euros respectively)
For any given ride, the first half-hour is free, the second costs one euro, the third is two euros, and every subsequent half-hour 4 euros."
and it also says the program may bring into Paris coffers 30 million euros - they won't get that on one euro a day.
Me - i don't know as i haven't been back to Paris since the program started and the info i guess could be wrong.
I quote direct from a press release i got from the French Embassy:
"Another advantage is the program's moderate price. Riders' can chose from one of 3 subscription plans - one day, one week or one year (1 euro, 5 euros, 29 euros respectively)
For any given ride, the first half-hour is free, the second costs one euro, the third is two euros, and every subsequent half-hour 4 euros."
and it also says the program may bring into Paris coffers 30 million euros - they won't get that on one euro a day.
Me - i don't know as i haven't been back to Paris since the program started and the info i guess could be wrong.
Sep 26th, 2007, 11:55 AM
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Actually it seems the bikes do not come with locks and have to be locked into one of the many 'stations' that would be near every site - ultimate plans are for no station to be more than 1,000 feet from another.
So you'd have to lock them in the return rack everytime you wanted to park them and rarely would such rides cost much or anything at all.
So you'd have to lock them in the return rack everytime you wanted to park them and rarely would such rides cost much or anything at all.
Sep 26th, 2007, 11:59 AM
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Interesting item on French news tonight about fines for cyclists going through red lights, (90 euros) riding on sidewalks, etc., plus some unhappy cyclists complaining about how unfair it all was. (The item was in fact in response to a decision by an appeals court not to deduct points from a cyclist who had a drivers license, despite an earlier decision to do just this.)
Seems there are lots more cyclists on the streets, most of whom haven't learned the basic rule that if you are a moving vehicle you are bound by the rules of the road - e.g. no going through red lights, turning where it's forbidden, etc. So the police just wait by a red light until they start coming through.
Something to remember if you do manage to get a bicycle in Paris.
Seems there are lots more cyclists on the streets, most of whom haven't learned the basic rule that if you are a moving vehicle you are bound by the rules of the road - e.g. no going through red lights, turning where it's forbidden, etc. So the police just wait by a red light until they start coming through.
Something to remember if you do manage to get a bicycle in Paris.
Sep 27th, 2007, 05:52 AM
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Yes the Embassy press release mentions that flics will be clamping down on bikers who don't follow the traffic rules like other vehicles. Staying off sidewalks is one such rule it says.
As for safety the release says that as more cyclists hit the streets, the accident rate goes down as motorists become more accustomed to bikes sharing the roads.
Indeed they point out Lyon's bike scheme where bike accidents have only risen 6% despite the 80% increase in numbers of bikes sharing the roads (but NOT sidewalks as Americans may want to to)
As for safety the release says that as more cyclists hit the streets, the accident rate goes down as motorists become more accustomed to bikes sharing the roads.
Indeed they point out Lyon's bike scheme where bike accidents have only risen 6% despite the 80% increase in numbers of bikes sharing the roads (but NOT sidewalks as Americans may want to to)
Sep 27th, 2007, 06:06 AM
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The bikes DO have a short term cable lock for people stopping to buy a baguette on their way somewhere else.
Actually, I have seen the locks used more by the Vélib technicians to move broken bikes out of the crowded stations until the bike repair truck comes to pick them up. So around certain bike stations, you will see a bike attached to a tree, another one to a lamp post and a 3rd one attached in a normal bike parking space for non-Vélib bikes.
The Vélib website tells me that I have made 74 trips this month so far, for a total of 7h50min and have paid a grand total of 0.00€ for usage, since I have an annual subscription.
In terms of usage, I paid 1€ two months ago because a trip lasted 31 minutes. Most of my trips last 2-5 minutes -- from the metro to my office, from home to the local cinema and from home to a more convenient metro line for a longer trip.
Actually, I have seen the locks used more by the Vélib technicians to move broken bikes out of the crowded stations until the bike repair truck comes to pick them up. So around certain bike stations, you will see a bike attached to a tree, another one to a lamp post and a 3rd one attached in a normal bike parking space for non-Vélib bikes.
The Vélib website tells me that I have made 74 trips this month so far, for a total of 7h50min and have paid a grand total of 0.00€ for usage, since I have an annual subscription.
In terms of usage, I paid 1€ two months ago because a trip lasted 31 minutes. Most of my trips last 2-5 minutes -- from the metro to my office, from home to the local cinema and from home to a more convenient metro line for a longer trip.
Sep 27th, 2007, 08:05 AM
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I can just see me on my bike going round and round the Arc de Triumph!!!! I'll stick to foot power, buses and metro thank you very much.
I see people on their bikes in that Paris traffic and I'm just in awe of them.
I see people on their bikes in that Paris traffic and I'm just in awe of them.
