New York, New York…….so good they named it twice – or so the song goes.
And commuters in the Big Apple have something to sing about with the introduction of their new Citi Bike Scheme. With many similarities to the “Boris Bikes”of our capital, the scheme has launched with a fanfare reception – well, in some areas of New York anyway.
This article in today’s Independent explains that some of the docking stations dotted around New York have not been welcomed as Mayor Mike Bloomberg would have wanted – some even claiming that it delayed an ambulance getting to an emergency call.
“Mike’s Bikes” (named after Mayor Michael Bloomberg) as they have been dubbed have so far proved a success, clocking up over 6000 trips. Emblazoned with the global bank Citigroup’s logo, hence the name Citi Bikes, they are exactly the same bikes as Boris has presented Londoners with.
So why am I telling you this?
Well, I’m now wondering if and when Birmingham is going to get a similar scheme. On a previous post, I asked whether we were getting our own version of the scheme after bikes were seen outside the Town Hall. But where are they now?
Is it another one of those “great ideas” that never see the light of day? Or are we all going to get another present from the council to go alongside our free wheelie bins?
So we have “Boris Bikes” & “Mike’s Bikes” – makes you wonder if by the time we get our bikes, they would be “Albert’s Antiques?”
UPDATE: Here is a link to a video about the CitiBike launch in New York.
Let's Ride Birmingham! 