A Dose of Communism

1 August 2010



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"Boris Bikes" Debut in London

In any major city, pedestrians hate motorists, and motorists hate pedestrians because they are constantly in one another's way. Both, however, reserve a certain incredulous view of cyclists. The latter take their lives in their hands every time they undertake a journey. Yet if London's latest attempt to fix its traffic problem is anything to go by, cycling may make a return to the center of the city. The "Boris Bike" debuted in London this week-end, if not to rave reviews, then at least to some optimism about short-term bike rentals.

The premise is pretty easy. There are 315 docking stations (bike racks to most people) that have 5,000 bikes for hire. The price is £1 a day or £45 for a year's membership. One receives a key, and it's off to the races. In about four weeks, casual riders will be able to pay at the docking station with a bank card. If a ride takes less than 30 minutes, there is no fee charged. And yes, it is possible to start at Notting Hill in the west and ride to Fleet Street in the eastern part of central London, dropping a bike off every 29 minutes and getting a new one to avoid paying, Indeed, because it helps keep bikes well-distributed, this strategy is encouraged.

London, of course, is not the first city to adopt this kind of plan. The Dutch perfected cycles in cities about the same time the dinosaurs died out. Paris launched its Velib system in 2007. Montreal has adopted an almost identical plan for its cycling needs, which amount to very little during the long, snowy Quebec winter. In the summer, though, Montreal is perfect for a bike ride to a jazz club. Minneapolis is putting the finishing touches on its rent-a-bike program. And New York's Mayor Mike Bloomberg seems to be threatening to adopt bike rentals before he leaves office.

London Mayor Boris Johnson is a cycling fan, as well as the most headline grabbing politician in the country. "Britain had a very strong cycling culture through the start of the last century, but lost it from the Fifties, when cars filled our streets in greater numbers. That's starting to change and we can do it much faster if more people discover the convenience and joy of cycling through hire bikes. The London scheme could be a really important step in re-creating our lost cycling heritage." Credit where credit is due, though; the plan was set up by his predecessor Ken Livingstone. Still, Boris Bike just sounds better than a Ken Bike (perhaps ridden by Barbie's boyfriend?).

Right now, about 2% of journeys in London are by cycle. Mr. Johnson wants that to increase to 20%. That hasn't happened since 1904, but what a change it would make to traffic. This system is a case of practicality trumping ideology as well. Mr. Johnson, a Conservative and almost reactionary, said, "I want everybody to realise that these bikes belong to everybody," the Mayor said. "This is a partially communist experiment."

© Copyright 2010 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.

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