City Bikes? A great and timely idea for just about every city on the planet (or at least those that meet the basic criteria that you will find clearly spelled out here.) But watch out! These are city-transformative projects and as such have surprisingly massive potential impacts in terms of mobility, environment, life quality, social equity, economic and planetary impacts that come with cost-effective zero- or at least very low-carbon transport for very large numbers of people, trips and places every day.

The leading projects in Paris, Lyons, Barcelona -- and every week at least one more getting attention -- are generating great media interest and many cities are starting to consider how they might bring such projects on board. But in almost all cases they are being looked on as bicycle projects. But no, this is not at all the case. Yes of course, those self-propelled two-wheelers are in the middle of it, but from a strategic perspective we are talking here about a very different kind of animal. And for it to work in your city you will need to understand that what you are looking at and eventually planning for and implementing is not "just one more nice bike project". Not at all!

Rather you are looking at and are going to have to plan for and eventually implement and support a project that is . . .

1. a significant public transport project in its own right;
2. a roads and infrastructure project of some dimensions;
3. a public health project in a time of need;
4. a city center economic development project;
5. a climate project that, summed by a thousand, can make a difference; and
6. a twenty-first century exercise in deep democracy and active citizenry.

This is the nature, the scale and the range of your city bike project. And this is your opportunity. So be ready for it!

Now, let's follow this guy and see where that takes us. . >

By 2010: Our Ten Thousand Dollar Bet!

We are firm believers in the environmental, life quality and economic potential of well designed and carefully implemented city bike systems. They are great at what they can do -- and even more important in terms of the other innovations and changes that they set off and support. And we are ready to bet on it.

In this spirit we have recently offered an open bet of ten thousand dollars to several international colleagues to the effect that the world will see at least one thousand operational city bike projects between now and 2010. Moreover, our bet is that the net environmental and climate impact of these projects will far exceed the combined contribution that is made by new technology motors and new fuels in this period. Ten thousand United States Dollars. (Any more takers?)

This means that even if the support program you find in these pages is not going to be appropriate in your case, the least we can do for all those who want to make such projects work but who may lack the confidence or funding to get directly involved in some aspect of out program, is to put before you the best of the references, materials and contacts known to us so that you can in turn examine and put them together to support you own initiatives. It is in this spirit that we offer you this city-bike workbook and reference source. Go for it!.

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