I guess that some of the scenes drawn have happened, and some of them are created to emphasize a point. I'll try to give the interview a listen later; I'm sure she gets into that.

Okay the real reason I'm back on this page is to link to an extremely cute illustrated weblog by a parisienne that rides bicycles. She may not be decisive, but she's awesome nonetheless. This post from her recent trip to SF is a good place to start:
http://www.bikeinthecity.com/index.php/2008/07/23/119-technique-de-motivation

Also I heard about how it was kind of environmentally counterproductive that they have to use trucks to distribute the bikes around the city. (He said the CEOs ride downhill but they don't like to ride up!) I made a suggestion that he said he'd pass on to the mayor (!) of giving kids the job of riding and redistributing. They get a small fee for taking a bike from bike heavy place to a less busy place, to be credited on their cards. The whole system is computerized, there's no reason the kiosk couldn't give the kid a few options of empty stations!

It could actually be worked into the metrix for all riders, costs a bit more for heavy station to light station and a bit less for reverse, like rush hour fees on trains.

When I was a kid we used to get a credit for returning shopping carts at the safeway, which is what made me think of this! In any case I think it could be more cost effective than trucks doing it.

No, and, that's not how I make decisions.

I believe that we need to built the network to get the riders, not vice versa.

Well, fine. Regardless, I stand by my first-hand opinion of French cyclists, as well as my praise of the Velibs as a concept. However, but I don't think anyone can say they have a "safe" infrastructure until the French riders recognize the importance of protecting one's brains.

I would rather be fair weather than hard core, personally, and we've had a lot of beautiful weather even in New York lately.

Don't get me wrong - everyone should get out there and give it a shot - but learning the basic rules of the road is essential. During the transit strike, I was stunned at some of the folks who were out there who clearly didn't know what they were doing, but were still doing basic no-no's like wearing headphones while riding -- not to mention riding the wrong way up the streets and all those other annoying things that we see every day, only in far greater numbers.

Urbanis: Glad you wear a helmet, and apologies if I misconstrued the tone of your comment. My point is just that this is something worth thinking about, not a reason for pessimism or defeatism--and I do really hope bike-share establishes itself here. (In Barcelona, I was the only person I saw wearing a helmet. I think it's just not part of the culture there.)

--all of Manhattan?
--Manhattan south of 59th St?
--the underserved East Side/West Side neighborhoods south of 59th St you referred to previously?

Recognizing that the roll-out is likely to be in Manhattan (even though it is the most transit-rich borough), the most transit-poor areas are the enire East Side, and the West Side west of the IRT line. Allocate 1 bikeshare distribution center at (1) the center of every X square block region in those areas that is more than a 10 minute walk from a subway, (2) at each express subway stop, and (3) at other locations in the midtown and downtown CBDs as feasible. Redistribute the bikes at noon and 8 pm each day to whatever degree is necessary to support demonstrated usage patterns.

Right now I ride my folder from Inwood to Soho and stash it in my office during the day. If I want to run errands or go to a restaurant or show after work, though, I walk or take the subway.

So, what's the problem? Parking. If I want to run errands or go to a museum, concert, or play, then I have to think about locking my bike on the street and I'm very reluctant to do that.

Using a shared bike for those little jaunts around town would completely eliminate my security concerns.

A bike share program would likely not only get more people cycling who aren't currently doing it, but get people who do cycle to do so more often. Why? Convenience and ease of mind.

When/if Velib comes to NYC, the existing bicycling community in NYC can do a lot to help deal with problem #1, by making the extra effort to inform novices, in a civil way, of safe and courteous cycling practices and other community mores. Problem #2 will depend upon DoT.