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| Photo by Linda Jassim Bicycle Sharing in Paris |
Santa Monica’s iconic image is well deserved. Is that image now in danger of being replaced with the image of an impassable downtown? All too often the downtown scene is one of cars circling for parking places in the public garages, long waits at intersections, and extra time added for any car trip passing through the downtown. Always, any proposed development is under considerable added scrutiny because of the traffic problems.
Enter the “Bicycle Salon.” Santa Monica bicycle advocates, including City Council Member Kevin McKeown, got together at the studio of Arts Commission Member Linda Jassim and Planning Commission Member Gwynne Pugh to hear a presentation on the French VELIB bike-sharing program and how it has transformed Paris.
VELIB (Velo Libre/Bike Freedom) had its Paris debut in 2007, with Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe leading the way. Ten thousand, identical, sturdy bicycles, were located in 750 automated rental stations throughout Paris. The program has almost doubled the number of bicycles and stations in three years and the VELIB program is now the largest bicycle-sharing program in the world.
The VELIB system locates bike rental stations approximately 1,000 feet apart and there are about 15 bicycles at each station. Fees vary, with yearly rates, weekly rates, and daily rates. The basic fee of 5 euros (about $6.50) gets one into the system for a week. Then rates are varied and are designed to encourage the use of the bikes for short trips within the city. Reducing the number of short car trips was determined to be the way to bring the highest environmental benefit to the city. VELIB is designed as a traffic reduction program.
Here is how it works. If you’re going to lunch, for example, you use your credit card to ‘unlock’ a bike from the nearest bike station, ride it to the restaurant, and dock it at a bike station near the restaurant. If the ride is less than a half hour – which is almost always the case if you are going from place to place in Paris – there is no charge over the basic fee you have already paid. After lunch, you go to the closest station and reverse the process, getting a new bike. Again, if your return trip is less than a half hour, there is no additional fee. The fee schedule is set to make it easier, more economical, and more fun to take the bike.
VELIB has proven successful in Paris. The program has reduced traffic congestion. It has had environmental benefits, such as the reduced use of gasoline, reduction in car emissions, and limiting the land needed for parking. Riders get the health benefits and the pleasure of seeing the city as they ride. To protect bike riders, Paris has carefully and cleverly implemented new rules and painted clear signage on the streets. This has made bicycle riding safer in Paris than it had been before VELIB.
Paris may have the largest bicycle-sharing program, but bicycle-sharing programs have been implemented in more than 238. Minneapolis, Minn.; Denver, Colo.; Washington D.C.; London, England; and Copenhagen, Denmark, are a few of the cities where you can find similar programs.
Speaking to the Santa Monica City Planning Commission, Charles Gandy, the coordinator of the City of Long Beach Bicycle Program, told the Commission, “The City of Long Beach has publicly set itself the goal of being the most bike friendly city in America.” Using mostly department of transportation grant monies, Long Beach has redesigned streets to create separated bike lines; used paint to create safe bike lines on shared streets; educated children and adults, public officials, police officers, transit officials, and business owners on bike usage and safety, as well as the advantages of cycling for the business districts, the environmental benefits, and the personal health and enjoyment benefits.
Santa Monica is proud to be a sustainable city. But it lags behind hundreds of other cities when it comes to creating real opportunities for people to safely and easily use the bicycle as transportation. Yet we know it is a viable way to reduce traffic congestion, reduce the need for parking spaces, improve air quality, benefit personal health, and have a good time while doing good. In London all the bikes are blue. The bikes in Paris are gray. The bikes in Denver are red. Santa Monica, what color will your bikes be?
