Where's Today's Blog Post?

My trip is going great. My blog isn't doing so well. I am in France and my blog is still trying to get out of Barcelona.

I have met many wonderful urban cycling leaders, seen the way bikes are used and accomodated differently in different cities. It is exciting. I have lots of pictures and stories. I just don't seem to have time to write.

The idea was to write and post a few pics everyday. It's been too hard. My schedule and itinerary have been intense. Lots of meetings, logistics, sightseeing, and arranging the next visit. I also need to sleep and chill out once in awhile. So I'm going to quit feeling guilty about not blogging or trying to catch up on my entries. I'll turn this blog into a report on the trip with lots of pictures over the next month.

I am keeping up on my email, so please email me if you have questions or follow-up to conversations we have had during this trip.

Barcelona goes Bicing

Bicing (www.bicing.com) is a big part of Barcelona's cycling story.  Now with 6000 bikes and 200,000 members it is a vibrant integral component of the city's transport system.  Bicing racks seem to be everywhere in the city, with all kinds of people taking, returning, and riding bikes.  Unscientifically, it looked like about a third of the bikes on the street were Bicing.  There were lots of different types of people riding the bikes, including kids being ridden on the plastic rear fender.  It seemed like the whole range of Barcelona society is riding the bikes.  I was struck by how normal Bicing was, when I saw a teen say goodbye to his friends, swipe his card, and ride off.

These are the same bikes and the same system as in Washington DC, though the current size of DC's tiny system doesn't make for a good comparison.

Bicing was the first modern European public bike system to be funded separate from an advertising contract.  It was initially funded from the new parking revenue but now the system has expanded and it subsidized by other municipal funds.

If you can't fit a bike in your apartment and you can't afford a folder, Bicing is a good workable solution.  It also works because of the combination with Barcelona's excellent public transport.

The Bicing system is not perfect.  There are many complaints about the system, mostly about the distribution of the bikes.  The bikes are sometimes all gone when you need one or the rack is full when you want to return one.  I remember a guy waiting with his bike at a full rack near our hotel, hoping someone would come and take one soon so he could return his.

Many bike dealers think the system is a disaster.  They believe many people stopped buying bikes because Bicing is available.  Koos thinks that is mostly a matter of unfortunate timing.  The system was expanded about the same time as the economic crisis which was the real reason for the drop in bike sales.  He also notes that Brompton sales have not dropped and thinks that people buy one because they are more reliable and flexible than Bicing.  Most agree that Bicing is good for business because it has expanded, maybe even created a market.

Stolen Bicing

Koos pointed out this stolen and repainted Bicing bike in a local rack. Koos could tell because of the unique frame design. There are supposed to be hefty fines, but it is hard to enforce.

Sorry tourists, No Bicing

Unlike in Copenhagen and Sevilla, Barcelona's public bike system is only available to residents. This is primarily to protect the bike rental businesses.  As a tourist I was of course, unhappy about this.  If public bikes are a dimension of public transport, it means that this mode was unavailable to me.   I'm not going to rent a bike for a 15 minute trip.  The theory is that tourists come without the car and use public transport.  I think there should be a way for tourists to use Bicing as public transport but not compete with the rental biz.  The way to do that would be to price longer use by non-residents at a very high rate, say 10 € per hour after the first hour.  That way people could use the Bicing to get to the bike rental places.

There is the question of whether the system could handle tourist use.  Maybe Bicing should be made available only to tourists from Chicago?

Making Friends for Cycling in Barcelona

I'm pictured here with Elena Medina and Albert Garcia at the headquarters of Amics de la Bici (Friends of the Bicycle) in Barcelona.  The group represents cyclists in the city.  They are also leaders in  Coordinadora Catalana d'Usuaris de la Bicicleta: CCUB is a Catalan umbrella federation of local Catalan bicycle user organizations, they are all volunteers.  Albert has been involved in cycling issues for over 20 years and has seen many changes.  They have attended many meetings, helped write promotional materials, safety campaigns, testified on plans, and generally fought for the rights of cyclists.  They feel that progress is slow and wish they had more power to make long-promised plans happen.

Haritz Ferrando and BACC

Haritz Ferrando graciously connected me with advocates throughout Spain and eloquently described the progress and challenges of cycling in Barcleona.  He is co-director of  BACC with Diana Gonzalez.  Along with a staff of five they promote cycling and provide services to cyclists in Catalunya.  BACC stands for Bicicleta Club de Catalunya .  http://www.bacc.info/

Hartiz sees 2006 as the beginning of the present explosion of cyling in Barcelona.  The Catalan region, which has it's own language, culture and  regional parliment, passed a requirement that all cities create mobility plans.  This led to a set of policies and programs that resulted in paid parking zones, car-share, public transit improvements, and bicycle programs including the first cycling facilities and BiCi public bikes.

An interesting piece of Barcelona's quest for sustainable mobility is the Mobility Pact.  Recognizing that change is hard and space is limited, each citizen is asked to agree to working together and respecting other modes to acheive a better city and transport system.  It is an interesting model for other cities and worth a read.  Has it made a difference?

Why folders?

Creative bike storage in Madrid.