One Year On!

It's been a little more than a year since I started blogging, so I thought I'd provide updates on some of the topics I've written posts about:

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BICING

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I've written a bit about Bicing, which also celebrated it's first year anniversary recently. Well, today's El País newspaper ran an article about the service's increasing growing pains: El Bicing genera 600 reclamaciones diarias por mal funcionamiento. (Bicing receives 600 complaints a day about technical problems.)
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This was based on information included in a report that City Hall made public yesterday, but which apparently had been making the rounds of municipal offices for a while. Perhaps the most damning part of the report was the revelation that a majority of users are dissatisfied with the functioning of the computerized stations where bikes are parked. Aside from some stations habitually not having bikes available, and others seeming to hardly ever have empty spaces for leaving-off a bicycle, other problems include system overloads which cause the whole computer network to fail. When this happens bikes cannot be removed from the stations and bikes that are left-off are not recognized as having been returned. Therefore, some people have been wrongly penalized for returning bikes late or fined for not returning bikes at all.

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More than 150,000 people currently subscribe to Bicing. Apparently a total of over 250,000 people have joined the program in the last 14 months, but more than 150 people drop out each month. Today Bicing has 367 stations and a fleet of 5,500 bicycles, with about 28 members for each bike. The plan is to grow the program to 6,000 bikes and 400 stations by September and then to postpone more growth until the operation of the service can be improved, for example, by installing a back up computer system to take over when the main one goes down.

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Who will pay for the improvements? The city will, although Clear Channel, the company that has the contract to run Bicing, was fined 22,000 euros this past January for not meeting the minimum quality indices that had been agreed to.

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Other statistics from the report included:

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- An average of 39,500 trips daily - 7.8 per bicycle.
- Each bicycle is ridden some 10,000 kilometers per year.
- As of last June 18, users had completed a total of 50,178 trips - 9.2 per bicycle.
- An average of six traffic accidents involving Bicing users are registered each month.
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If you are a Bicing user and want to have your voice heard, you can participate in a survey being conducted by researchers with Telefónica Investigación y Desarrollo (Research and Development) and the University of Washington. Click here to take the survey, which is available in English, Spanish and Catalan.

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By the way, I still hold a generally positive view of Bicing and am so glad that it exists. While not even close to perfect, it certainly has been a positive addition to my life -- and I bet it's better than anything they have in Paris!

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NEWSPAPERS / PERIÓDICOS
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A new daily newspaper appeared on the Spanish scene this past year. Público hit the stands in September, with the aim of attracting left of center readers in the 25-45 year old age group. The editor is 32 year old Ignacio Escolar, who is the son of journalist Arsenio Escolar, the editor of the free daily 20 minutos. The younger Escolar previously worked in television, radio and as a musician in the groups Meteostat and Dedcodek. He's also writes a popular blog called Escolanet.

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Of course, Público seems to be going head to head with El País, the country's other left leaning daily, which bills itself as, “the global Spanish language newspaper.” (El periódioco global en español) One of El País' directors, Juan Luis Cebrián, told the New York Times and International Herald Tribune, "We don't even see them as a competitor. It's like comparing The New York Times and The New York Post." So, I guess it was just a coincidence that the publishers of El País felt the need to revamp the paper last October, with the stated purpose of appealing to younger readers.

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Well, I still like El País, but I find that I like Público, too, and have been buying it pretty frequently. Anecodotically, I can say that many people I know seem to be doing the same.
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THE SUMMER SOLSTICE AND LA NOCHE DE SAN JUAN
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Another summer solstice / noche de San Juan came and went yesterday. Fantastic fireworks and thousands of party goers on Barcelona's streets and beaches. I read today that the local police estimated that there were 85,000 people on the city's “playas” last night. Of course the symbol of the year's shortest night is the bonfire, and so flames and firecrackers colored my neighborhood as usual, as well as all of Barcelona.

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However, it's not just Barcelona that celebrates la noche de San Juan. In towns in the Pyrenees there were traditional torchlight processions, Madrid saw urban bonfires and on Spain's islands there was fireside dancing in the moonlight.

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In Alicante, where one of the biggest San Juan festivals is held, the dazzling climax of the festivities won't happen until tonight. Larger than life wooden and paper maché figures are built by neighborhood associations as part of a city-wide competition and then are burnt to the ground at midnight on the 24th, setting the entire city aglow. What a way to welcome in the summer!
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THE ECONOMY
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Well, PM Zapatero couldn't quite bring himself to use the “c” word but at least he stopped using some of his favorite euphemisms (difficult scenario, period of adjustment) when he finally admitted yesterday that Spain's economy was in serious trouble. He couldn't let go of one ambiguity, however -- economic deceleration. At least he shuffled it along from a “deep deceleration ” to a “strong deceleration -- almost a sudden stop.”
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Better late than never? We'll have to wait and see if the 21 new proposals his government plans to make to address the CRISIS will do any good. So far the reaction has been muted to negative, with the governor of the Bank of Spain describing them as "insufficient." I wonder if that was a euphemism?
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

Bicycling News: Yesterday Hundreds; Today Thousands

YESTERDAY - Nude Cycling Demonstrations:
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Hundreds of “ciclonudistas” (nude cyclers) took to the streets of various Spanish cities yesterday for the 4th annual “bicicletada nudista” (nudist bicycle gathering). This year the events were held to promote bicycle usage and demand more bike lanes. Organizers claim that naked cycling demonstrates the vulnerability of human bodies on bicycles. As one cyclist put it, via speakers attached to his bike, "We are defenseless against automobile traffic!"
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In Barcelona about 150 cyclists rode around the center of the city to protest against the insecurity they feel and in honor of a bicyclist who was run over this past Tuesday. The 54 year old cyclist, who is a member of the local bicyclists organization Friends of Biking, was hit by a truck that had reportedly crossed over into the bicycle lane. The victim remains in the intensive care unit of a local hospital.
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The demonstration started at the site of the accident at the intersection of Consell de Cent and Bruc streets, and then went on to to a stop in front of the city's Bicing office at Portal del Angel and finally to Plaza Jaume, where City Hall and the Provincial Government Headquarters are both located. Organizers read a manifesto at the end of the ride calling for, among other things, a moratorium on the creation of new bicycle lanes and the development of a program to educate drivers. At every stop cyclists were surrounded by photo snapping tourists.
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Meanwhile, in Madrid 200 or so nude protesters cycled down the Paseo del Prado from Cibeles Plaza up to Retiro City Park.
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Nudist advocate groups in Barcelona had called for the cancellation of the event on the grounds that it was "a provocation in a city in which it [nudity] is a right." In Madrid somewhat the opposite seems to have occurred, with nudists using the event there to stand up for their rights. That city's nude cycling contingency crossed paths with a group of 20 or so nude marchers, who walked to Spain's Congress of Representatives, where they hand delivered a letter in defense of the “right to go nude in public spaces." (While public nudity is not illegal in Spain, it is not protected by law either.)
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TODAY - Barcelona's Bike and Skateboard Festival:
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Today some 15,000 people participated in the ninth Barcelona Bike and Skateboard Festival. Cyclers and skateboarders rode from the city center to Plaza de España. There, at the base of Montjuïc, the city sponsored festival included demonstrations by well known cyclists and skateboarders, workshops, and various "freewheeling" activities. As in previous editions of the festival, the non-profit organization, Active Africa, had a collection point for donations of equipment and spare parts for bicycles.
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Oh, by the way, I didn't spot any nude cyclers or skateboarders at today's festival.
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Hasta la proxima amig@s,
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Carloz

Happy Birthday Bicing!

Bicing, Barcelona's public bicycle sharing system, marked its one year anniversary with a party on the seaside this weekend. About 2,000 persons gathered to hear speeches, watch marching bands, and eat a giant birthday cake.

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From the perspective of this user Bicing is a success and I think most Barcelonans would concur. Using this form of public transportation has saved me time and money, as well as provided me with an opportunity to get some extra exercise -- all without contributing to air pollution, noise and traffic congestion.

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Here are some statistics provided by Bicing that reflect the program's popularity: today Bicing has more than 130,000 users from 16 years of age to 83. The majority are between the ages of 26 and 35. The 4, 300 bicycles are used an average of 30,000 times a day. Each bike is used an average of 8 times a day. The average trip lasts 17 minutes and covers 3 kilometers. There are currently 286 stations that cover every district within the city limits. About 120 workers travel around the city in special Bicing vans to make repairs, switch out damaged bicycles and provide station maintenance. Every day about 300 new people join the system by paying the 24 euro annual membership fee.

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Future plans include expanding to 400 stations and 6,000 bicycles by this summer. Neighboring cities, such as Badalona and L'Hopsitalet, are considering joining the network so that Bicing can cover the whole Barcelona metropolitan area. There is talk about increasing the program's operating hours. (Currently the service is available from 5am to midnight on Sunday through Thursdays and 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays.) Plans to create a weekly pass for tourists have been put on hold, but stay tuned, because as soon as it is inaugurated, I will post a notice.

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However, the system is not perfect and not all users are happy. One anonymous commentator on the ADN.es website wrote:

"It's a shame that you do not mention the very bad management of this service: thefts of bells and damage to gears, insufficient availability of bicycles at stations, failures in the computer system that prevent you from taking a bicycle even though some are available, fines and unjust sanctions due to mistakes by those in positions of responsibility..."

(Click here for the original Spanish version of the article the writer was commenting on. Scroll down the page to view his comments.)

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This writer is referring to the following situations:

• some of the bikes are vandalized, forcing users to ride without bells or with non-functioning gears;


• at times there are no bikes available at a station and it is necessary to wait until someone returns one -- indeed sometimes there are lines of people waiting for a bike;


• the computerized station racks sometimes breakdown and either will not allow people to take bikes or will not allow bikes to be returned;


• and some members claim that they have been fined 250 euros for losing bikes that in fact they had returned.

The latter could be because of a problem with the computerized rack, but it could also be because the user did not check to make sure that the bicycle was locked into the rack properly. I have actually seen kids at the Bicing bike racks trying all the parked bikes to see if there are any bikes that they could take be cause they were not locked properly.

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Of course, the burden of proof is on the member. For that reason, I usually not only check to see that the rack has properly locked the bicycle by trying to remove the bicycle from the stand, but I also immediately try to check out another bike because if the system has recorded the bike as returned, the computer system should give me a message that I need to wait 10 minutes before borrowing another bicycle.

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Other things I hear people complaining about are the limited number of bike lanes in Barcelona, the lack of respect pedestrians and other vehicles have for bike lanes, and the fact that police seem to fine bicyclers for violations much more than they do pedestrians and vehicle drivers. (I've never heard of a pedestrian getting fined for walking in a bike lane, although it is against the law.)

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So, yes, there are problems but all in all, I have to say I am not only satisfied, I am grateful. Bicing is a great way to get around!

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¡Felice cumpleaños, Bicing!

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Carloz

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P.S. Bicing has an old English version of it's website that is not updated anymore. Click here to view it.

Bicing, bicycling and the law in Barcelona

Barcelona recently updated it's law concerning the flow of traffic -- motor, two wheel and pedestrian. A few of the major aspects of the law that effect bicyclers are: being allowed to ride in the middle of a lane, having to stop at red lights, not being allowed to use lanes reserved for buses and taxis, being prohibited from riding on pedestrian sidewalks smaller than five meters wide, having to use bike lanes when they are physically separated from the street (if they are not physically separate, then it's optional) and having to have functional bells and lights.

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I think many people believe the law is an improvement over what existed before, but there are still many concerns. One of mine is not being allowed to use the bus/taxi lane. On a street like Via Laietana that means having to ride in the middle lane, with taxis and buses whooshing by to your right and passenger vehicles and trucks zooming by on your left. It's a little nerve racking!

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Then there is the fact that the bikes available through the Bicing public transportation program often have bells and lights that are missing or broken. I mentioned that to a Bicing staff person the other day and the response was, "Don't worry, the police won't fine Bicing users for that. They understand that it's not your fault." OK, but what about the reason for requiring lights and bells -- safety!

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Anyway, below is my translation of parts of a report about some of these issues from today's El Pais. The article was drawn from a reporter's one hour observations of a busy Barcelona intersection.

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"Motorcycles, cars, parking, driving, unloading, walking... Some of everything can be found in the C/ Consell de Cent bike lane between C/ Pau Claris and C/ Roger de Llúria. Last Tuesday between 11.30am and 12.30pm saw the frantic business day activity of every kind of vehicle, including bicycles - the only ones that, in theory, should be using the bike lane -, and often causing them to leave the lane in order to negotiate obstacles in the shape of parked vehicles. In the hour observed, it was not only motor vehicles that violated the traffic code, but also cyclists who did not respect the ordinance -- red lights were run and sidewalks less than 5 meters wide were ridden on.

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In one hour the balance of bike lane infractions was as follows: 14 vehicles parked in the bike lane, 3 taxis dropped off and collected passengers, a large number of motorcycles (too many to count) drove along and 12 motorcycles stopped for the light inside the bike lane. Violations by bicyclists were: four bicycles ran the light, four others rode circulated along the sidewalk. And a pedestrian also decided to walk along the lane. By type of vehicle, the results were: 29 of motor vehicles invaded the bike lane, 9 bicycles violated the ordinance and one pedestrian walked in bike lane.

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During that 60 minute period, only one police officer came by -- one of those who patrols on a bicycle. He gave a warning to a bicyclist who was riding along the sidewalk and ticketed a car parked in the bike lane.

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The biggest danger occurred when more than one van or car was parked, causing cyclists to zigzag continuously and dangerously. A total of 33 bicycles had to leave the lane to avoid parked vehicles, with all the danger this involved. Actually, more than a few opted to stop and wait to exit the bike lane until no cars or motorcycles were coming.

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The number of infractions counted by this newspaper in an hour along one city block demonstrates that vehicles do not respect the bike lane and invade it constantly, putting cyclists at risk. And it also it provide evidence that reality far surpasses official figures. According to data provided by the Guardia Urbana, between January and September of this year -before the new ordinance took effect - the following infractions were reported: 1,295 for parking in a bike lane, 15 for stopping in a bike lane, 1,674 for driving in a bike on a motorcycle, 493 for driving in a bike lane on a moped, and 34 for driving in a bike lane in a four wheels. This newspaper requested from Barcelona City Hall the number tickets issued for the same infractions since the application of the ordinance, but received no response. Lacking concrete data, the Bicycle Club of Catalonia (BACC) believes that the ordinance is being applied to bicyclists above all.

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"The most frequent bike infraction is running a red light. But the same zeal is not seen in sanctioning vehicles that invade bike lanes", stresses Diana González.

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This worries cyclist organizations because of the growth of users of this means of transportation due to the appearance of the Bicing program. Before Bicing's establishment, there were some 40,000 bicycle trips each week day in Barcelona. Now there are more than 70,000."

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And I'll close by adding that that number is sure to keep growing.

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If you'd like to read the complete article in the original Spanish, click here.

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Hasta luego amig@s,

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Carloz

A Tale of Two Cities: Barcelona Bicing & Paris Vélib

Hey, I see that Paris will be starting its own public bicycle transport program tomorrow. It's called Vélib which is a mix of the French words for bike (vélo) and free (libre). I say bon for them!
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Here's my 2 cents worth of a comparison between it and Barcelona's Bicing program.
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Bicing vs Vélib, the names: To me "Bicing" is a much catchier and international sounding name. I mean, "veleeb parreee" sounds OK, but Barcelona Bicing, that's snazzy, rhythmic, alliterate, mnemonic. (By the way, it's pronounced "beecing.")
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Bicing vs Vélib, the websites: The Bicing website is available in Spanish, Catalan and English, to make it more accessible to the city's cosmopolitan population. The Vélib website is available in French and, well... er... French, to make it more... er... French! Chalk another one up for Barcelona Bicing. Acreditase un mas a Barcelona Bicing. Acredita-se un mes a Barcelona Bicing.

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Bicing vs Vélib, the water-side view: Yeah, yeah, yeah, biking along the Seine sounds romantic and like something Judy Collin's grand kids probably do. However, it's really just a little river and no amount of Paris plage-ing during the summer is going to make it feel like the MEDITERRANEAN! Barcelona Bicing on the beach is the winner here.
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Bicing vs Vélib, the weather: Biking in Paris during the summer may be nice, but really, who wants to bike in Paris on a cold, gray winter day? During the winter most Parisians are probably looking at Spanish travel brochures and dreaming about THE MEDITERRANEAN!! Summer, winter, spring or fall, wouldn't you rather be Barcelona Bicing on the beach?
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Bicing vs Vélib, the sites to see: Ok, both cities do really well in this category. Eiffel Tower, Sagrada Familia, Champs-Élysées, Las Ramblas, Arc de Triomphe, Arc de Triumf, etc., etc. etc. Paris may even have the edge here... but... come to think of it, we've got the foothills of the Pyrenees to look up to when we're tooling along Paseo de Gracia! Can one bike from the sea to the mountains in Paris? Creo que no.
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Bicing vs Vélib, the population: Would you rather bike in a city of about 1 and a half million people, like Barcelona, or about 2 and a half million, like Paris? (Now before you answer, don't only think of the heavier traffic, but remember those cold, dreary Paris winters and the sun shining on the Mediterranean all year long.) OK, Barcelona Bicing on the beach wins here, too.
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Bicing vs Vélib, the rates: Bicing 24 euros annually; Vélib, 29 euros. BBOTB.
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Bicing vs Vélib, the countries: Bicing's in Spain, the other's in France. I rest my case.

Barcelona Bicing on the beach, yeah! Barcelona Bicing on the beach, yeah! Barcelona Bicing on the beach, yeah!

Will success kill 'Bicing', Barcelona's new public bicycling system?

Below is my translation of an article by JAUME BAUZÀ from last Sunday's El Pais newspaper.

Click on the title below if you want to read the original Spanish version.
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Success threatens to drown 'bicing'
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In biology it is said that an insect survives because it is small, but that if it grew to the size of a cow, it would suffocate. Something similar could happen to Bicing, with its overwhelming success in Barcelona.
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The public transportation system established by City Hall last March has already has attracted 70,000 users so far -- a figure that grows by 1,000 new subscriptions a day. However, the number of available bicycles is much lower: 1,500 located at 100 stations. This difference between supply and demand is starting to cause problems in getting hold of a bicycle.
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Empty stations for much of the day, queues to get hold of one the prized methods of transport and users who, after an initial phase of skepticism followed by enthusiasm for the innovative service, are beginning to grow impatient.
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"The other day I had to go to three stations until I found a bicycle. If it to had gone home on foot since at the start, I would have arrived there earlier," said Ana at a stop near the cathedral.
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"At first there was no problem, but when I leave for work it's a miracle to find a bike," claimed Antoni in the Eixample area.
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Although the majority of users consulted believe that Bicing is an excellent initiative, a lot of criticism was expressed about the lack of bicycles. Nevertheless, those responsible for the program are not worried.
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"I don't believe there is a serious imbalance between supply and demand. At any rate, the service is still not up and running 100%," stated a spokesman of Barcelona Municipal Services, the public business that operates the new urban transportation system. City Hall foresees by year's end 3.000 bicycles in circulation, distributed through 200 stations all over the city. But how many users will have registered by then?
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"Now we are in a state of flux. With the summer's arrival the promotional [membership] rate of six euros annually has ended. It doesn't seem probable that the number of requests will continue at this pace after September."
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The system is seen as an alternative method of public transportation, so it only allows for trips of half an hour. In case that time limit is surpassed, the user is penalized 30 cents. This way the bicycles move constantly. Clear Channel, the company that put the service operation in Barcelona, reported that there have already been more than 500,000 trips recorded.
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"According to our calculations, each bicycle is used an average of 12 times a day and we believe that those rotations will rise to 15 by the end of the year. So when they say that there are few bicycles, one must keep in mind that they are in continuous movement," City Hall said in response to the criticism.
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At Barcelona Municipal Services, they prefer that things develop naturally. "It's logical that in the future some users will drop the service, having tired of not finding a bicycle. Thus the supply and demand will balance out," explained the municipal spokesman. "At any rate, it's still very early to speculate on that question. The system is new. We started from scratch and we need a year to study where the gaps are and find solutions", affirmed this spokesman.
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The advantages of Bicing are undeniable and explain why Barcelonans have been tripping over their feet to get at this service. It's comfortable, ecological and cheap. According to a profile provided by City Hall, the average user is more than 35 years old (48%), is a professional with an advanced degree (30,6%), lives in the Eixample (26,4%) and uses the bike an average of 15 minutes.
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To absorb such user demand, the town council is working towards installing a new station every day. The Bicing map already includes 75 stations that extend all over the city. For example, the six kilometers that separate Plaza d' Espanya and Glòries can be covered in 28 minutes traveling almost in straight line along Gran Via. The stress and heat produced by cars in two lanes, pedestrians that cross the street without looking and furious cabdrivers suggest making the return trip by Metro. The eight stations that separate both Plazas require 12 minutes travel time.
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Such a system is necessary, many citizens say, above all in a metropolis that has always boasted of treating bicycles well. But success can also kill and the flood of users threatens to reduce the effectiveness of the service.
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"There are things that need fine tuning, but in July we'll have 150 maintenance and distribution staff, 10 vehicles with trailers to carry bicycles and another four vehicles for maintenance. So, we'll fill up empty stations more quickly," pronounced City Hall.

In Today’s News: David Beckham Ends Madrid Stint with a League Title

Of course, the bad news in my city is that although Barcelona beat Tarragona’s Gimnastic 5 to 1, Madrid’s 3 to 1 win over Mallorca allowed it to edge Barça out for the Spanish League title. Today all of the local papers focused on Barcelona’s loss of the League title to Madrid, in spite of their excellent game against Gimnastic. Several papers led with a cover photo of a dejected looking Ronaldinho.

Early on in the evening it looked like Barcelona would win the league, as Madrid appeared to be having trouble against Mallorca. However, the tide turned dramatically for Madrid with two final goals coming during the last 10 minutes of the game!

Local fans followed their team’s match with the usual enthusiasm this world class team receives. Whenever there is an important football game or other sports event being broadcast, the sounds of cheers, boos and horns soar out of bars, pubs and living rooms. You can literally feel the excitement in the streets — or even in your home if you happen to have your windows open. Last night was no exception. Of course, had Barça won the league and not just last night’s game, the fans would have poured out into the streets themselves to make even more noise.

Oh, yes, what about mid-fielder David Beckham? Well, in case you’ve been on Pluto, he’s leaving la vida loca to be just one more star in L.A.’s “galaxy.” Last night Beckham, who has been living in the Spanish capital for four years, was given an exciting send off along with another departing team member, Brazilian left-back Roberto Carlos, who is joining Istanbul’s Fenerbahce Sports Club after 11 years in Madrid.

Beckham may be gone, but Spain will always have two of the brightest stars in the world of football — Real Madrid and Futbol Club Barcelona!

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Also in the news today:

Bicing, Barcelona’s public transport by bicycle program, now has over 50,000 subscribers! (See June 17th’s Biking with Bicing in Barcelona post.)

Barcelona is the ERASMUS capital of Spain! Sixteen percent of the more than 26, 000 European universtiy students who come to Spain through the ERASMUS program choose Barcelona because of its cosmopolitan, festive ambiance. One quote from a student: “En esta ciudad hay mucha fiesta.” (In this city there is a lot of partying.) I’m sure he went on to add that he also liked the high quality of the opera at the Liceu and the wide variety of museums available — and Barça, of course! ;-)

Copied from original http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/ posting by Carloz on 18 June, 2007

Biking with Bicing in Barcelona

Getting around Barcelona got more interesting with the introduction of “bicing” in April. The word “bicing” is an adaptation of the word “bicycling” and is used as the name for BCN’s latest addition to public transport. It’s great: sign-up via the interent, pay a small annual fee (24 euros), receive a member card a couple of days later and then use it to “check out” a bike for up to two hours at a time. The first 30 minutes are free. If you use the bike longer you pay 30 cdents for each half hour.

So, this afternoon I used the system to get to and from for my routine outing for Sunday lunch over the El Pais newspaper. I grabbed a bike from a stand a few blocks from my apartment and rode it to another stand located near one of my favorite seaside restaurants. A few hours later I collected another bike from the stand and rode it back to the stand in my neighborhood. There are five stands within walking distance of my apartment!

This bicycle lending service is integrated into the city’s bus and subway system. As I said earlier, it’s only been available for a few months and it is already extremely popular. The overwhelming success of the program surprised its developers. I read somewhere that they had projected 15, 000 people signing up by the end of the year. However, 30,000 people subscribed in the first 2 months!

I have been using the system for getting to work as well as for pleasure rides. Of course, since I teach at various locations around the city each day, it’s not possible to ride a bike to all of my classes. However, when a trip to a class involves a bus ride and a transfer to the metro, I can often substitute a bike ride for that bus ride and at least part of the metro ride. It is nice to be out in the open air instead of on a bus or down in the metro. (Although Barcelona’s bus and metro system is very good.) Another pleasant aspect is that since Barcelona is such a style concious city, the bikes and their stands are very nicely designed.Here’s a link to the English version of the Bicing web site:

ttp://www.bicing.com/home/home.php?TU5fTE9DQUxJWkFDSU9ORVM%3D&MQ%3D%3D&ZW4%3D

Barcelona is a pretty progressive place. Well, all of Spain is, really. I am fortunate to live in this country.

5 Responses

By: In Today’s News: David Beckham Ends Madrid Stint with a League Title « My Spain Blog on June 18th, 2007 at 11:29 pm […] Bicing, Barcelona’s public transport by bicycle program, now has over 50,000 subscribers! […]

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By: Pedalling Along on June 19th, 2007 at 4:33 pm

[…] I think if the planets are alligned, people would be willing to give it a try. I ran across this entry about a new bike service in Barcelona, Spain that is taking off. Could you imagine dedicating […]

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By: pixelus on June 20th, 2007 at 5:36 pm

How I wish this was already existing when I lived in Barcelona a long time ago!
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By: Carloz on June 20th, 2007 at 10:27 pm

Well, come back, Pixelus!

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By: Barceloneta and beyond (well, a little) during the summer solstice celebration « My Spain Blog on June 24th, 2007 at 4:54 am

[…] Then I thought, hey, I always stay here in Barceloneta for San Juan. But I wonder what’s happening even further up the beach? Even to the other end? And then I knew how to find out — Bicing, the Barcelona public transit system’s bicycle lending service! (See June 17th post, Biking with Bicing in Barcelona.) […]

Copied from original http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/ posting by Carloz on 17 June, 2007