June 6, 2020
What changes are ahead for our world of public transportation? In the last three years, street-side bike rentals have taken the world by storm. Public bike rentals are a popular alternative to gas-burning vehicles, although they weren't always that way. Here in Portland, where there are a lot of eco-friendly projects and initiatives, you would think we would get public bikes earlier than 2020.
The first free public bike-sharing program was launched in 1974 in France. It was called Velos Jaunes (Yellow Bikes) and featured bicycles that were free to take and use, unlike other earlier bike-sharing programs. Public bike rentals sprouted all over the world and grew popular quickly, but bike rentals were not used by everyone until inventor John Stevenson came up with a risk-free alternative to the whole system.
Stevenson has owned a public bike-sharing company for five years, but just last year he invented a digital lock system, a small device that you simply clipped onto the front of your bike and you were ready to go. How it works is simple: you clip the lock on your bike, wrap the cord (made out of recycled plastic) around a post or tree, create a 4-digit code that unlocks the lock, and that way you can park it wherever you go. When you return the bike to the rack where it belongs, the lock automatically resets. Now there are nearly twice as many people using bike sharing programs, as well as Stevenson's new inventions.
Transportation causes for 30% of our carbon emissions. If everyone can adjust to this new bike-sharing system and make it part of their daily lives, we can do our part in getting rid of the global warming that comes with driving/riding in oil-burning vehicles. Don't know how to ride a bike? You can learn in a short, 20-minute long online tutorial that Stevenson is creating to post on his website. "The bicycle is a simple alternative," says Stevenson, "It's not just a toy for young children, but a tool that we can use to save the world from carbon emissions."
Hi, I'm Celia. This blog post really made me aware of the transportation problem! I now realize how much carbon emissions are going into the world today. Thanks so much for enlightening me. This blog post was so factual and great!
ReplyDeleteHi Noah and Chloe! My name is Rielle and I go to Punahou School in Hawaii. I thought it was cool that you gave some background info on where it started. It's awesome that in other places, it is catching on. I just read in another post that using our cars can contribute to global warming. Public bikes are a great idea! I hope, in the future, Hawaii gets public bikes. Right now, it is a bit unsafe to have public bikes because of all the crazy drivers. I hope that changes in the future. Good job!
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm Isabelle from Punahou School, and I really enjoyed reading your article! I found the fact that 30% of our carbon emissions come from transportation very powerful. I also liked how you stated that bikes can take on a whole new image - not only a toy or tool that is used for enjoyment, but a tool that can be utilized to contribute to the environment.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the bike-sharing lock was also very smart, for it would encourage people that renting bikes are both reliable and safe.
Thank you for sharing your video - I hope that Honolulu will also take more environmental initiatives towards using more bikes.
Hello I'm Taiga from Punahou School. I take the bicycle to go to my park to play soccer. Even though using the bicycle is a great way to go from place to place, it would be hard to bike a far distance. Riding a bike takes our own energy and if we don't have enough we wouldn't be able to go somewhere that is far away.
ReplyDeleteHi Noah and Chloe! My name is Rielle and I go to Punahou School in Hawaii. I thought it was cool that you gave some background info on where it started. It's awesome that in other places, it is catching on. I just read in another post that using our cars can contribute to global warming. Public bikes are a great idea! I hope, in the future, Hawaii gets public bikes. Right now, it is a bit unsafe to have public bikes because of all the crazy drivers. I hope that changes in the future. Good job!
ReplyDelete