Commuter bike renting is a great option for navigating rush hours in the biggest cities. The concept is that users register online for a rental account which and swipe card that can be used to rent bikes that are conveniently located throughout the city.
The concept exists in Vienna, France, and now Barcelona. In Barcelona’s recent implementation there were 30,000 users in the first 2 months.
The first 30 minutes of bike use is free, and the bike must be brought back after 2 hours. Of course, you can retake a bike back out, but you first must re-swipe your membership card.The purpose of the bikes, and how they are mostly used, is for residents of the city to get around. Tourists do not make up a large portion of the users, from what I understand. The success of these systems show that people really are willing to use the bikes, so long as they are available. With the high cost of gas, I can see fair climate urban areas in the United States being able to follow a similar system.
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