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There has been an increased focus on green transportation recently and bikes are the best alternative for short distances.  A bike sharing company called Bixi Bikes, a combination of bike and taxi, has integrated seamlessly into the city infrastructure Montreal and Paris. Now they are launching in Toronto.  The bikes are being hailed as a great alternative to public transit, cars and taxis to travel short distances.   It doesn’t hurt that they are nifty looking and cost very little. 

Bikes have a smaller carbon footprint and are ideal modes of transportation.  European cities such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen have already embraced bikes as a means to get around and they support bikes as a mode of transportation with bike lanes throughout the city.

Integrating bike sharing programs in more US cities could kill two birds with one stone.  They would provide a long term sustainable solution to our environmental and fitness problems.

The program works like this. Commuters or city dwellers sign up for a membership. Once they are registered they can grab a bike form any docking station and ride. The great news is that the bikes are returnable to any station through the city. 

Just think about how easy it would be to add exercise into a daily routine if you grabbed a bike and did your lunch time errands with it. The Bixi Bike would come in handy for those trips that aren’t worth the gas, but are too far to walk.

Tags: bixi bikes, carbon foot print, bike sharing programs
Categories: Stuff