It's Friday, and in my books, that means it's time to feel good. Let's set aside the doom-and-gloom stories for a moment and focus on some good news!
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Today's good news comes from the city of Hangzhou (with a population of over 6 million) in southwestern China. Watch this short video about the city's new public bike sharing program:
How cool is it that they include kids' bikes in the system? And that some of the adult bikes come with child seats! I'm particularly impressed by the integration of the program with public transit such that you can use a bike for 90 minutes at no cost if you've just stepped off a city bus. The designers behind this system have clearly thought about some of the barriers that prevent many people from cycling - having children with them or living outside of the city's core where the stations are located - and made it more convenient for everyone to make use of the bikes. Here's hoping they reach their target of having 175,000 bikes available by 2020!
I love bicycle-oriented culture. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I just watched this video with a two-year-old ( future cyclist). She says, " More, please."
What a great bike sharing program! If only all cultures could shift into biking cultures. Such a great concept that everyone could benefit from. Thanks for the fabulous video.
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic! Great video. Happy Canada Day to you.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad there are awesome alternatives to putting more cars on the roads over there! I did not know that bike culture was thriving in China, it makes so much sense! Yay, good green news.
ReplyDeleteEmily - She'll get more if bike sharing is introduced to more Chinese cities. Just imagine, Hangzhou is actually a mid-sized city for that country! As more and more Chinese begin to be able to afford cars, it's critical that public bikes be accessible to ease congestion and improve air quality.
ReplyDeleteLori - So true, everyone really does benefit. I'm so impressed that such a wide variety of people seem to be using the system, especially moms with kids. In North America, it's much more typical to see moms in minivans!
ReplyDeleteLaura - I'm glad you liked it. Happy Canada Day to you too! Hope you have a great long weekend.
ReplyDeleteSherry - The Chinese government seems to be very supportive of a bike culture, and I bet at least one reason for that is the importance they place on improving communities rather than individuals. Cars are symbolic of individual freedom and isolation whereas biking is a communal activity, and everyone is safer and happier biking together. If only our government saw it that way too!
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