With more focus on global warming, sensitivity to fuel prices and metropolitan traffic congestion we all need to take a world view when seeking solutions. Remember the Pablo Picasso quote “ Good artists copy but great artists steal?” No need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to traffic solutions.
Bikes share the road with cars around the world – a trend growing in the U.S with many cities launching ambitious programs. Not all initiatives need to be grandiose. Take Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, while they don’t have a large scale organized bike sharing program you can pop into some of the cafes there and leave a small deposit with a barista to borrow a refurbished bike to get around. The loosely organized program is run by volunteers. Could it be a community outreach brand enhancing opportunity in the U.S.?
A world away in San Francisco city planners are dealing with auto congestion by moving away from fixed rate parking meters to variable pricing. Drivers have a choice of paying more for the convenience of parking in high-demand areas at peak time or parking in less popular areas at off-peak times and paying less. Hourly rates for city spaces can be as low as 25 cents or as high as $7.
Both programs are well worth considering by major cities – geographic location aside.
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