San Francisco's bike-share scheme starts today and it will be fascinating to see if the community-minded citizens of this city do better than New York - or Auckland.
This is perhaps a much more bike-minded city than Auckland; the ill-fated Auckland scheme closed down in 2010 after opening in 2009. Part of the problem was compulsory helmet laws - the convenience of using a bike to finish your commute is restricted if you have to lump a helmet around.
The practice of fixing a helmet to the share bikes was also flawed; there were worries about passing head lice or other medical problems on. Melbourne and Brisbane got round the problem by offering subsidised helmets for $5 at many convenience stores and two vending machines. The helmets can be returned to the retail outlet for a $3 refund. In California, people over 18 don't have to wear helmets.
New York's bike-sharing scheme is only a few months old and has gone well - except for a few problems.
One, commuters are indeed using them to ride from a rail or bus station and docking them at a point closer to work. But not as many are riding them back. That means they end up with an oversupply of bikes at the wrong end of the city. Large lorries have to go to these areas and then truck the bikes to where they are needed for the next day.
