The bicycle diaries: Vélib’

(Image via Wikipedia)

Here’s a BBC radio documentary about Vélib’ (loosely velo + liberte = free bike?), a bike-share program in Paris. It costs nothing for up to half an hour, 1 euro per hour after that, and has 20,000 bicycles in operation! I like that you earn free credits if you leave bikes at the top of hills, as well as the guy talking about his friends falling off bikes after late nights out. I’d be interested to hear from a bike shop in Paris on whether they think this program increases or decreases bike-buying. Where’s the biggest program (if any) like this in the U.S.? Check out the official Vélib’ page for more.