On July 15 the Mairie de Paris’s latest weapon against cars and pollution will debut. Say hello to Vélib’. Say goodbye to gridlock on the périphérique, scarce parking spots, and boring metro commutes. Thanks to this program, rental bicycles will be made available to Parisians and visitors alike.
Seven hundred fifty automated stations at intervals of 300 meters (a little over a quarter of a mile) will dispense 10,600 bikes. By the end of the year, there should be twice as many stations, with higher concentrations in the busier parts of the city, and 21,600 bikes available in total. Riders will be able to pick a bike up at one station and return it to another close to their destination.
Open 24/7, the Vélib' program offers three types of subscriptions: a one-year card (29 euros), a one-day card (1 euro) and a 7-day one (5 euros). Subscription forms can be obtained at post offices, bakeries, local town halls, and over the Internet. A 150-euro deposit is required, and youngsters between 14 and 17 must present parental authorization.
Though simple in concept, Vélib’ requires urban strategic thinking and calculation. All subscriptions allow cyclists to rent a bike free of charge for up to 30 minutes with just the swipe of their card. Then, an extra half hour of pedaling costs 1 euro, another one, 2 euros. After an hour and a half, each additional 30 minutes will cost 4 euros. “This ratemaking was designed to ensure that the Vélib’ bikes are used for short rides,” explains Céline Lepault, the project manager.
A bit heavy (22 kilos, or 48 pounds), the Vélib’ bike is designed to withstand 20,000 kilometers of city streets a year. It is equipped with a front basket and a small lock for short stops.
Paris is the second major city in France to implement such bicycle program, following Lyon, where the Vélo'v program was created in 2005, doubling the number of bike riders.
For more information, call 01 30 79 79 30 or visit the Vélib' website at www.velib.paris.fr

Let’s Share a Car!

For Parisians who still can’t resist being behind the wheel, the Mairie is preparing to develop yet another option: the “autopartage” or car sharing. Already 2,000 Parisian drivers use this plan, which allows them to rent a car for a minimum of an hour. Private rental agencies can obtain the city label if they meet several criteria: vehicles must be available 24/7, allow for reservations only 15 minutes ahead of time, and cars must meet European pollution standards. In Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands, where car sharing was successfully implemented in the 1990’s, a shared car now replaces 6 to 10 private cars.