Bike Sharing Plans Edge Forward in Portland

Bike sharing systems can be expensive, so getting one off the ground may have to wait until the economy improves. Despite the challenges, Portland is hoping to get the policies and plans in places ahead of the eventual upturn in order to implement a system as soon as it's feasible.

"Portland transportation officials are eying about 100 high-tech bike-sharing systems worldwide to see if an investment in public bicycles could be successful in what's already considered a world-class bike city.

They hope that two demonstration projects scheduled here for August will give them a firsthand look at a few systems and help gauge public appetite."