I twittered about this a few months ago and have been meaning to get to writing a post about it, but this is exciting news for my hometown. Boston has just committed to - what may be - the largest bike sharing program in the US.

Bixi is the brand name for a program developed in Montreal by the Public Bike System Company and rolled out there with great success. The concept is that bike sharing terminals will be deployed throughout the city and wherever you see one, you can walk up, wave your $78/year Bixi card (or a credit card) and take a bike out. When you get to your destination, pull right up to the nearby Bixi station and the bike is secure. Heading back? Grab a bike and start peddling. One thing I love about this idea is that the stations are completely self-contained, solar powered, wifi enabled - so you can plunk them down, boot them up and they are up and running. When the snows come, pick them up and store them for the winter.

The hope is that the bike sharing program will allow city dwellers and visitors to substantially cut down on car trips when moving around the city - thereby reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. I have had several conversations with friends and colleagues about this idea, and every single one of them has loved the concept in theory. The one downside cited by 100% of these folks however is perfectly understandable to anyone who has ever visited and driven in Boston. Beantown drivers are insane and the roads are old cowpaths - there are no bike lanes and no room to put them in. With this in mind nobody (except 20 year olds with a deathwish) are going to want to ride around the city. I am an avid road cyclist and want no part of riding in Boston.

I will keep you posted as the city and Bixi address this obvious concern….maybe they will surprise us all and come up with an amazing bike lane system with aggressive enforcement. Let’s hope, because I love the idea.