Paris
Paris has installed more than 10,000 bicycles for public use across the city. The service is called Vélib, a word made up by blending vélo (bike) and liberté (liberty). Residents and tourists alike can purchase cheap passes that allow free use of a bicycle for a half-hour; consecutive half-hours cost 1 euro (about $1.35) each. The pay structure is intended to keep the bikes in rotation—you can pick one up at one station, ride across town, and drop it off at another station. The program is the latest effort by Socialist Mayor Bertrand Delanoe to make Paris greener. Delanoe has angered some drivers by replacing car lanes with bike paths on major routes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Road trip: New England’s maple syrup seasonFeature New England is serving up maple syrup in delicious and unexpected ways
-
Music Reviews: Mdou Moctar, Panda Bear, and Tate McRaeFeature “Tears of Injustice,” “Sinister Grift,” and “So Close to What”
-
What's at stake in the Mahmoud Khalil deportation fight?Talking Points Vague accusations and First Amendment concerns
