Self-serve cycling.

• Position: ENVIRONMENT - Brief article

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

A fleet of 10,600 hefty gray bicycles took to the streets of Paris in Jury, marking the start of the Velib program [velo, "bicycle,'" plus liberte, "'freedom"). The bikes are available for inexpensive rental at 750 self-service docking stations around the city. A one-day pass costs 1 euro (about $1.40). Velib was conceived by Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, who is aiming for a 40 percent reduction in car traffic by 2020. Similar programs are operating in Berlin, Stockholm, and Beijing. The rent-a-bike concept...