If you are lucky enough to live in Paris, Barcelona, Stockholm, Oslo, Amsterdam, or a half dozen or so other European cities, you have probably been reaping the benefits of your hometown's bike sharing program for years. But here in the U.S., such programs are just getting started in progressive cities like New York, Portland, OR, and Berkeley, and are off to a great start.
Typically, users pay a membership fee, locate the nearest bike via the web, ride off into the sunset, and then drop the bike
off at the same station or a different one. The programs are underwritten by companies
that put advertising on the bikes. The cost of the program pales in comparison to adding to freeways or extending subway lines, and is an environmentally friendly way to get around, not to mention a great way to get, and stay, in shape. Kids bikes aren't yet part of the program, but kid seats and trailers can be easily attached and detached, making biking fun and easy for the whole family.
Grassroots bike share movements are popping up all over - does your city have a bike share program? If so, do you use it? If not, what would it take to get you on a bike?
