This year in Paris I filmed bicycle kiosk and release rack construction before the initial fleet was released (10,000 public bikes in Paris!). The construction costs are significant, which involve tearing up the street, installing underground communications and power utilities, pouring concrete around rack and kiosk bases, installing the racks and kiosk, and finishing treatments.

I noticed the rate of bike parking per car parking space is 7 to 1, and that is with smaller French car parking spaces. The usual installation was 21 bikes and a kiosk, within three car parking spaces. The use of this space can offset the congestion generated by 21 cars!

Together with the quick short term rental, I believe the city will save costs and encourage bike use if more than 500 bikes are made available, and loaned out for a longer period of time. The bike use could be for a week or longer, like borrowing a library book, costing only a small deposit. In San Francisco the estimate of bikes required to meet the whole demand was 5000. In Arcata California, there has been 3000 public bikes released over 3 years, meeting much of a student population demand, and offsetting the construction of a $10 million dollar parking garage. The costs of the bicycles are small compared to the cost of redistributing bikes and maintaining racks. So more bikes, with longer term use, and return to the place of origin saves labor money, and produces more bike miles covered.

The bottom line is bike use is growing, in Europe and here, and the transportation is created by design.