FIGURE4 Special bicycle lanes increase the safety of bike riding.
In 1965, Amsterdam introduced bike sharing — public bikes for hire, mainly for short trips. Although it initially failed, the idea continued. Modern schemes address theft and vandalism with identiýable bikes and location tracking via GPS or radio frequency. Bicycles are rented using credit card payments or smart cards based on membership required to hire a bike. Mobile apps enable bike users to connect with bicycle lanes and public transport. The number of bike-share programs declined following COVID-19; but is now rebounding. The program now includes e-scooters. In 2024, there were almost 2600 shared micromobility systems operating globally with 1.13 billion users. It is projected by 2029 there will be 1.29 billion users and the number of e-scooters will have increased ten-fold. Copenhagen, the top bike-friendly city since 2014, sees around 62 per cent of its population cycling to work or school, covering 3.72 million kilometres daily. Beijing leads in bike-sharing programs with more than 11 million users making more than 1 billion journeys in 2023. Bike-sharing improves liveability for all ages and locations. An example of a successful bike-sharing scheme is in Paris. The Vélib program started in 2007 and doubled in size quickly. By 2012, bike trips in Paris increased by 41 per cent. Today, the program has over 20 000 bikes and 1465 stations, spaced 300 metres apart. Forty per cent of the bikes now have electric motors with a 50-kilometre range when fully charged. These bikes also have a 50-kilogram basket capacity. The program is popular with locals and tourists, boasting 400 000 subscribers and 4.7 million trips monthly. In summer, a single bike may be used for more than ten trips in a day. The electric bikes help solve issues in hilly areas, where people ride downhill but use other transport to return, causing bike availability imbalances. Bike sharing is also part of Paris’ plan to reduce car trafýc and pollution, which includes closing streets to cars on weekends, lowering speed limits, encouraging bus use and extending bike lanes. SkillBuilder discussion Concluding and decision-making 1. Why do you think bike-sharing programs are so popular? Compare how modern bike-sharing systems have improved since the ýrst attempt. 2. The number of bicycle share programs increased by around 20 per cent between 2020 and 2024. Predict how many bicycle share programs there will be in 2029. 3. Do you think bicycles will replace cars for local trips? Give reasons for your answer.
388 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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