Public Bicycle System

Large-scale Public Bicycle Systems are adding another innovative option to the transportation mix in cities around the world – most notably in Paris, Lyon, Barcelona, and Montreal – and are a new and improved version of the old, low-tech bike-sharing programs. Public Bicycle Systems offer a large fleet of high-quality, public-use bicycles accessible via a smart card from self-service docking stations located on street corners every few blocks.

After paying an initial subscription fee, users typically have low-cost or free access to the bikes and can pick them up and return them to any docking station within the system. Since one-way trips are possible, the bikes can be used for daily travel needs. As a result, once the network is extensive enough, public bicycles become an integral component of the wider public transportation system.