| Paris: More Beautiful by Bike |
| Wednesday, 11 May 2011 | May Ngo | Blog Entry |
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When I get up in the mornings and have to rush off to work in Paris, the city where I live, I have the option of either walking a few blocks down to my local Metro subway station, Bel-Air, or walking 20 metres to the nearest Velib’ bike station, just below my apartment. If I choose to bike it, I can even pick up a baguette for lunch from the nearby bakery before hopping onto one of the bikes ‘parked’ in the bike station, and voila! No fellow commuters, no waiting in traffic and I get my morning exercise, which would otherwise be hard to fit in. Velib’ is the public bike-hiring system that has changed the very face and functioning of Paris since its introduction to the city in 2007. With 20,600 bikes and 1,450 bike stations, it is the largest public bike-rental system of its kind. The word Velib’ is a French abbreviation of the phrase vélo libre (free bicycle) or vélo liberté (bicycle freedom). Velib’ is also now used as a verb in everyday language, as in ‘Are you going to velib’ there?’ or ‘Shall we velib’ home?’ Even though Paris is a relatively small city that is pretty well serviced by the Metro system and bus network, it still has problems with smog-choked traffic, particularly during rush hour. However, with the advent of Velib’, the city has changed significantly by cultivating a more bike-friendly culture with heavy investment in bike facilities and bike lanes. Velib’ uses a self-service system that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Multiple pick-up and drop-off locations (one every 300 metres in the city) allow you to obtain your bike from any Velib’ station and drop it off at any other. Overnight, Velib’ bicycle-transporting vehicles redistribute the bikes to high-demand stations, as well as take back any bikes in need of repair.
The introduction of Velib’ has not been without problems: it is not uncommon to see bikes abandoned and left on the street rather than being returned to a bike station. It has been reported that more than 3,000 bikes have been stolen during the first year of operation and now more than half have been lost, stolen or intentionally vandalized. Some bikes have even been found dumped in the river Seine, with the damage costs causing a headache for City Hall and JCDecaux, the advertising company paying to run the system in exchange for free access to the city’s 1,600 billboards. Despite these issues, Velib’ can be seen as part of a bigger and important initiative, Espaces Civilisés (Civilized Spaces), which seeks to improve pedestrian areas such as sidewalks and street trees, while simultaneously reducing traffic lanes on big boulevards. This reflects the vision that the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, has for the city, “which is more than ever concerned about the quality of life of its inhabitants, is creative, dynamic and wants to offer every traveler a wide choice in terms of transport.” The Velib’ program in particular was created to “provide a new approach to urban mobility.” I’ve lived in Paris before and after the arrival of Velib’ and have seen the improvements it has made to the city and to my lifestyle. This is not only because cycling is now a viable transport option, but also because it has changed the city’s image of itself. Fears about bikes clogging up traffic, together with less car parking and road space, have gradually given way over the past two years to a growing acceptance of bikes and the central place they can have in Paris. Tourists love it, too. A look at the Velib’ experience shows how incorporating public bikes into a city’s transport system doesn’t just change its infrastructure—it can also be an expression of a wider vision for alternative and more sustainable ways of city living. Mayor Delanoe has had to confront no less of a strong car culture than in any other place. A study of the Velib’ system yields a fine model for other cities, albeit one to be adapted to their specific needs and structure. But the general principle holds true: having a public bike-sharing system encourages a bike-friendly culture, enables an ecological alternative to frequent car use, and can vastly change the image as well as experience of the city itself, both by locals and tourists. Of course, this being Paris, the city of fashion and of looking good, you won’t find helmets or unsightly fluorescent vests here. Instead, you may find girls clumsily cycling in their heels, with little fluffy dogs following behind. Additional resources:
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“The city is more beautiful by bike.” - English translation of the slogan on the official Velib’ website
To use Velib’, you must take out a subscription for a day (€1), a week (€5) or a year (€29). Day or week subscriptions can be purchased at the automatic rental terminal at each Velib’ station, which also displays information about the location and availability of neighboring stations. Payment is through the use of a bankcard with a PIN number, with €150 charged to the card if the bike is not returned. Once you have a subscription, use of the bike is then free for the first 30 minutes—each trip being the moment you take out a bike and then return it. You can make unlimited trips as long as they’re within the duration of your subscription; once over the initial half hour, those not subscribed will be charged an increasing one to four euros for each subsequent 30-minute period.
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