Vancouver Eyeing Public-Bike System

Hunt said TransLink put out the contract call after hearing from consumers that they'd like such a system in the region. As well, Vancouver Coun. Peter Ladner put forward a motion in October suggesting TransLink look into public bikes, a move that got support from the rest of the board. "I think this is very workable in Vancouver," said Ladner. "I pushed it because it's taking off in other cities in Europe. It produces a dramatic increase in the number of people cycling and reduces car use." The first public-bike system started in Rennes, France, in 2001, with 250 bicycles at 25 docking stations, according to information supplied with the TransLink call for bidders. Paris, with a fleet of flashy pink bikes, has supplied 20,600 bicycles at 1,450 docking stations and Beijing has promised it will supply 50,000 bikes in time for the Olympics. Typically, people pay for the bikes with a smart card or credit card, picking them up in one spot and returning them to the same place or any other docking station. The bikes are frequently manufactured with different kinds of parts that don't fit regular bikes, making them less prone to thefts. Bonnie Fenton, the chair of Vancouver's bicycle advisory committee and a trainer in bike skills, called the idea "very cool." "If you make it easy for people, it's more likely to happen. All of this is fitting together really well." About three per cent of people in Vancouver commute by bike; about two per cent in Metro Vancouver. In Amsterdam, the rate is 37 per cent. http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=d6b24695-bb9c-44bf-b5ba-90c21ed9807e&k=63629

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