The Tour de France hasn’t arrived yet in Paris, but the bicycles have. In an effort to get people out of their cars and onto more eco-friendly transportation, the city has placed more than 10,000 bicycles at about 300 stations around the capital.
Riders can buy an annual pass for 29 euros (about $40) or pay a euro on the spot to use a bike for half an hour and park at another station.
The service still has some kinks to work out, but the first week of the Velib program was a big hit with Parisians. Here’s what some of them had to say:
“It’s superb. I used to come by Metro, but it’s better to be outside.”
Olivier Lemaitre
[ Parisian who rode a bike from the left bank of the Seine to the right ]“Everyone goes down, and no one wants to ride the bike up the hill. The bikes are all at the bottom.”
Olivier Patte
“An electric bike, which would prevent arriving at an appointment all sweaty, may have more future as an alternative.”
Le Figaro
[ French newspaper that has been critical of the program ]
