Citywide 're-cycling' idea 'best thing since sliced baguette'

Russell Meddin wants to provide Philadelphians with an alternative means of getting around - one that could perhaps replace rush-hour traffic's tortured wait.

His solution? Bike-sharing.

With more than 200 miles of bicycle lanes in the city, he said, a bike-sharing program is the next step for a biker-friendly city such as Philadelphia.

In fact, he's so sure it can work, he's already approached several City Council members with the idea.

"We can save the health of our city, reduce the amount of congestion on our city's streets and it's good exercise," he said last night at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Benjamin Franklin Parkway and 19th Street, during the Bike Share Philadelphia forum.

Meddin was inspired to bring bike sharing to Philadelphia after observing a similar program in France in 2006.

Last night, bike enthusiasts packed an auditorium at the Academy where they weighed the pros and cons of providing the public service. Gilles Vesco, vice-president of a bike-sharing program in Lyon, France, said it's great for bikers.

But Mayor Nutter, who attended, was ambivalent, saying he thought the idea was good, but questioned its feasibility.

If implemented, Meddin said, Bike Share Philadelphia could start with 4,000 to 5,000 bikes, with a minimum of 10 bikes available at each station.

To register, riders would provide an identification number and acquire a membership card, which they would swipe at an electronic kiosk to retrieve a bike. The service would be free for the first half hour, Meddin said. Users would then pay a small fee for additional time. Every bike would have a GPS tracking system, minimizing thefts, Meddin said.

"I'm hoping that after this forum, everybody thinks this is the best thing since sliced baguette," he said. "This is not a dream. This is working in Paris with 20,000 bikes available to share. . . . If Paris can do it, we can do it." *