Torino is a partner in the European Union funded project PUMAS, in which European Cities, among them the City of Munich, partner to explore possibilites for a less CO2 emitting urban traffic. For this reason, all delegation members took notice of the big number of yellow bicycles in the city, which are available for rent in many places. Certainly a good method to relieve public transport and at the same time supporting the health of the citizens.
Nice trapped action in the first one. On my recent workshop in NYC I was surprised to see ranks of parked “City Bikes” all over mid-town, as well as lots of people actually riding them. They’re a far cry from the road racing bikes I rode for so many years, but they in fact look thoughtfully designed for urban riding. Distances aren’t long so comfort wearing street clothes and ruggedness are more valued that light weight.
Carl, bicycling in the city still booms over here. And while the rental bikes attract occasional riders, we have some hardcore street fighters, too, and this creates conflicts every year unfortunately, aggravated by the fact that bicycle lines are simply too narrow to accomodate bikers going at very different speeds.