WASHINGTON: American cities, eager for greener solutions to urban congestion, are rushing to set up bicycle-sharing programmes similar to those launched in Europe in recent years.

The US capital of Washington will likely be the first in the nation to offer two-wheeled transport at various locations for a nominal fee, under a deal with advertising giant Clear Channel Outdoor.

San Francisco has reached a deal for a similar programme with Clear Channel, while other cities including New York, Chicago and Portland, Oregon, are studying bike options.

Paul DeMaio, a consultant to several municipalities on bike programmes said the highly touted ‘Velib’ programme launched in July in Paris — its name a contraction of the French words ‘velo’ (bike) and ‘liberte’(freedom) — drew attention to bicycle programmes and spawned interest around the globe, from Montreal to Beijing.

Jim Sebastian, pedestrian and bicycle coordinator for the US capital’s transportation department, said Washington has been studying the notion of bicycle sharing for several years, before most of the programmes were launched in Europe.

About 120 bicycles will be deployed in the first phase of the Washington programme at 10 locations around the city. Details such as costs for usage and membership have yet to be announced. The launch date has not yet been set but is likely to be in March or April next year, according to Sebastian.

“One of our main goals is to provide as many transportation options as possible and reduce the level of congestion, especially downtown,” he said.

Martina Schmidt, president of Clear Channel unit Adshel, said the company is in the process of setting up programmes in Washington and San Francisco modeled on similar ones it operates in Barcelona, Stockholm, Oslo, and Rennes, France.

As in most of the European programmes, the costs of the bicycles are offset by revenues from advertising at bus shelters and other ‘outdoor furniture’.

“Based on the experience in Europe, cities see that traffic is congested and everyone is looking for more environmentally friendly modes of transportation,” she said.

Schmidt said Clear Channel will be using a “sturdy” bike built for these purposes, which can be adapted to people of various heights. It has some special features including a small front wheel that makes it more manoeuvrable, but also quirky enough to discourage theft. They will also have automatic lighting for night riding..—AFP