Chicagoans were excited to hear that on a recent visit to France its mayor Richard Daley was going to check out bicycle rental, namely the Velib service for on-demand bike rental. This system relies on renting bikes from and returning them to a “service point.” On a recent visit to Germany, I saw examples of bike rental where the bikes stand alone.

In Berlin it was not uncommon to see red and silver bikes with a “DB” logo, part of the Call A Bike service. The service is summarized on this English-language page on their Web site, and it is a straightforward service where you establish an account, and when you want a bike you call a phone number, enter the code on the bike, then enter an access code on the bike and you’re on your way. This picture was taken at the Potsdamer Platz train station with several bikes available. Many times I saw just one bike, all alone, waiting to be rented. The bikes have a unique design and even a carrier with a cable for carrying packages. Click on the photo for a larger view.

I also found DB bikes around Frankfurt, as well as bikes from another vendor available for rental in a similar manner. By being able to rent and leave them wherever your destination is, the service is extremely convenient. When you are done with the bike, you lock it to a sign post and call in the location and it is picked up.

By the way, DB stands for Deutsche Bahn, the German national railroad. Now that is an integrated transportation system!

Comments

Just to give an update on the Velib initiative in Paris:
After a year of service, the service is showing an operating profit (which is quite amazing)! Despite the natural wear and tear, various thefts (one bike was even found in Brazzaville…) and the clunkiness of those bikes, Parisians and tourists alike love the service.  That’s even more amazing when you consider that this has been a particularly “wet” year, winter and spring mingling in drizzle.
I haven’t heard any feedback from similar services in other cities.

Comment by Huges
on 07/31/08 at 10:39 AM
 

Hi Huges:  Thanks for visiting, and thanks for the update.  It is good to hear the service is doing well, and proves the demand of such a service, despite the weather.

Nothing has taken place yet in Chicago but other US cities are starting to experiment.  It may be slow to take off here, but demand will follow.  This has been proven with car sharing services like Zipcar.

mp/m

Comment by Mike Maddaloni
on 07/31/08 at 11:30 AM
 

Post a Comment

Note: Comment moderation is active, and your comment will be viewable once it is reviewed.