In Paris, cars compete with other transit modes (and often lose)

In cities across the world, many governments are promoting electric cars as a way to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. But electric cars aren't the only option for keeping urban dwellers mobile while reducing the carbon footprint of transportation. Public transit, bikes, scooters, and car-sharing services can all offer alternatives to traditional vehicle ownership.

Paris is one example of a city where all of these alternatives have coalesced into a legitimate competitor to cars, according to Automotive News (subscription required). The French capital now has about 450 miles of bike lanes, and pedicabs are a popular option for tourists. Bike-sharing service Velib now boasts nearly 23,000 bicycles at roughly 1,800 stations, and many Parisians get around on scooters as well. On the public transit side, Paris already has an extensive Metro subway system and intercity passenger rail—including the famous, 200-mph TGV high-speed trains. That is now being augmented with new tram lines, as well as water taxis. Paris also boasts Autolib, the electric-car sharing service run by the Bolloré Group conglomerate. There are currently 4,019 Bolloré Bluecars in operation, with 1,085 charging stations and 6,139 parking spots. . . .

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Vélib’ is a large-scale public bicycle sharing system in Paris, France. Launched on 15 July 2007, the system encompasses around 14,500 bicycles and 1,230 bicycle stations,[1] located across Paris and in some surrounding municipalities, with an average daily ridership of 85,811 in 2011.[3] The name Vélib' is a portmanteau of the French words vélo (English: "bicycle") and liberté ("freedom").[4]

Vélib’ is operated as a concession by the French advertising corporation JCDecaux.[5] As of 2014, Vélib' is the world's 12th-largest bikesharing program by the number of bicycles in circulation; the rest of the top 18 are in Chinese cities.[6] As of July 2013, Velib' has the highest market penetration with 1 bike per 97 inhabitants, followed by Vélo'v in Lyon with 1 bike per 121 residents, and Hangzou in China with 1 per 145.[7] Since December 2011, Vélib’ has been complemented by Autolib', an electric car sharing scheme operating on similar principles.[8][9]

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The system opened to the public in May 2013 with 332 stations [currently 507] and officially with 6,000 bikes.[3] As of March 31, 2016, the total number of annual subscribers is 163,865, and Citi Bike riders took an average of 27,287 rides per day in 2015.[1]

On October 29, 2014, Alta Bicycle Share and the City of New York announced an agreement to expand and improve the Citi Bike program.[8] Jay Walder, former chairman and chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was named new chief executive of Bikeshare Holdings. By 2017, Citi Bike plans to double its bike fleet to 12,000 and add 375 docking stations to expand service further into Brooklyn, upper Manhattan, Astoria, and Long Island City.[9][10]

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