Jay Walljasper writes that bike-sharing programs are transforming life in European cities from Oslo to Rome, Barcelona to Vienna, and giving visitors a great new way to sightsee.
"In the past year and a half, the City of Lights has become the City of Bikes, with 20,600 public bikes plying the streets as part of the Vélib' (which means, roughly, "free bikes") system that opened in July 2007.
Eric Britton, an American-born transportation consultant living in Paris, has closely studied the system and stresses the Vélib' is not simply another way to bike but a new 21st-century form of transportation offering many of the advantages of both cars and transit. "Think of them as tiny transit vehicles you can pick up where you want, when you want, to go exactly where you want and then leave them there," he says. "They offer the same door-to-door convenience of the car but without all the problems- from parking to traffic jams to pollution to sprawl."
FULL STORY: Europe on Two Wheels
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
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Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
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Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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