New York City is putting training wheels on a new bicycle-sharing program to demonstrate to city-dwellers that two-wheelers can be a viable form of alternative transportation. Sponsored by the Forum for Urban Design, a group of architects, designers, and planners, the five-day trial run has made 20 bikes available for free from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. for 30 minutes at a time.
Bicycle-sharing programs are already thriving in European cities like Barcelona, Spain, and Lyon, France. A program in Paris will soon make 10,000 bicyclettes available for public use.
“A ride-share program would reduce the dependency on automobiles,” says David Haskell of the Forum for Urban Design. “It would be a great alternative to subways and bus services — and a lot cheaper for the city.”
Also, less smelly.
