台北「Youbike」蔚為風潮！熱門站點可能還一車難求！但其實這股熱潮早在國外行之有年～
在歐洲許多都市常見民眾騎著自行車穿梭城市每個角落，不僅提供市民便利的接駁工具，還兼具休閒健身與娛樂的特點。
Back in the 1960s, Amsterdam city councilman Luud Schimmelpennink launched a plan to bring in 20,000 shared white bicycles to help combat the city's traffic snarls and reduce air pollution. The idea was for people to use the bikes once, then leave them for another person when they were done.
In theory it was a great program. But things didn't turn out as planned. The council rejected the proposal. Seems Luud Schimmelpennink was ahead of his time.
In the last 10 years, the number of cities offering bike share programs has skyrocketed. Today, more than 600 cities deploy more than 700,000 bicycles to be shared by locals, according to the New York City-based Institute for Transportation and Development (ITDP). Of these, the largest systems are in China, in cities such as Hangzhou and Shanghai.
早在1960年代，荷蘭阿姆斯特丹市議員Luud Schimmelpennink曾發起一項計畫，他建議提供兩萬輛白色共用自行車，藉著使用完畢後，留給下一位騎士的構想，解決糾結的交通問題，並降低空氣污染。
從字面上看來，應是個不錯的計畫，但事情並沒有按照原計畫進行。雖然當時議會否決了他的提案，不過在今天看來，這個計畫非常有前瞻性。
近十年來，「自行車共享計劃」的理念已在各個城市急劇增長。根據紐約交通和發展政策研究所（ITDP）所提供的數據顯示，時至今日，有超過600個城市，提供超過70萬輛的自行車給當地居民使用。其中，最大的公共自行車租借系統位於中國的杭州和上海。
Of the some 600 cities now operating bike share programs, ITDP has singled out seven for having world class systems, "hitting the mark with both high market penetration and high infrastructure usage."
在600個提供自行車共享計劃的城市當中，紐約交通和發展政策研究所（ITDP）選出了7個世界級的系統，它們擁有高市場滲透率和高基礎建設使用率，接下來就讓我們看看是哪些城市入選吧：
Barcelona: Averages 10.8 trips per bike per day and 67.9 trips per 1,000 residents. Barcelona's bike share program, Bicing, was introduced to the city in 2007. Unfortunately, Bicing is available by local membership only and not available for tourists.
巴塞隆納（西班牙）：Bicing於2007年推出，平均每日使用10.8次，每千人使用67.9次。可惜的是，只適用於當地會員，不適用於遊客。
Lyon, France: Averages 8.3 trips per bike and 55.1 trips per 1,000 residents. Tourists can sign up for this one. There's more info on the local Lyon tourism website.
里昂（法國）：平均每日使用8.3次，每千人使用55.1次。遊客可從當地的旅遊網站得到更多自行車租賃訊息。
Mexico City: The Mexican capital's Ecobici bike share system averages 5.5 trips per bike each day and 158.2 trips per 1,000 residents. This one's off limits to those without a Mexico-issued credit card or proof of local address.
墨西哥：墨西哥首都Ecobici自行車共享系統平均每日使用5.5次，每千人使用158.2次。如果沒有墨西哥所發行的信用卡或當地住址，則無法借車。
Montreal: The Bixi program averages 6.8 trips per bike and 113.8 trips per 1,000 residents. Tourists are welcome to sign up while visiting.
蒙特婁（加拿大）：Bixi自行車平均每日使用6.8次，每千人使用113.8次。遊客註冊後，即可使用。
New York City: NYC's CitiBike system averages 8.3 trips per bike and 42.7 trips per 1,000 residents. Tourists are free to use it.
紐約（美國）：紐約市CitiBike系統平均每日使用8.3次，每千人使用42.7次。遊客可以免費使用。
Paris: The French capital's bike sharing program averages 6.7 trips per bike and 38.4 trips per 1,000 residents. Tourists are welcome to borrow bikes and can sign up online at En.velib.paris.fr.
巴黎（法國）：法國首都巴黎的自行車共享計劃平均每日使用6.7次，每千人使用38.4次。遊客在網上註冊後，就可隨時借閱。
Rio de Janeiro: The city's Samba bike sharing program has 60 stations and 600 bicycles that average 6.9 trips per bike a day and 44.2 trips per 1,000 residents. It's open to anyone, though you'll need someone who speaks Portuguese to help you sign up.
里約熱內盧（巴西）：Samba有60個車站和600輛自行車。平均每日使用6.9次，每千人使用44.2次。任何人都可以借閱，但需先用葡萄牙文註冊。
The findings are part of ITDP's just-released "Bike Share Planning Guide," which presents best practices and case studies of successful systems. ITDP says shared bikes are a remedy for urban mobility issues such as traffic, air pollution, transit finance and the "last mile" problem of getting commuters to and from rail and bus stops.
"Very few transport innovations have spread as quickly as bike share," says Walter Hook, ITDP's chief executive officer. "The vast majority of bike-share systems have all been implemented in the last 10 years."
這些數據出自紐約交通和發展政策研究所（ITDP）近期發表的「租賃自行車建設指南」當中；該單位表示，自行車租賃系統解決不少城市通勤問題，包含交通混亂、空氣污染、通勤費用等，在協助通勤族搭乘大眾運輸工具方面也十分方便。
紐約交通和發展政策研究所（ITDP）首席執行長Walter Hook表示：「很少運輸創新理念可以和自行車一樣，擴散得如此迅速。這樣的改變，全都發生在近10年之間」。
So what makes a bike share system a hit? ITDP says there are five critical elements:
讓自行車共享計劃成功的五個關鍵因素：
1.Station density 站點密集度
2.Bikes per residents 單車數量是否充足
3.Coverage area 系統涵蓋範圍是否足夠
4.Quality bikes 優質的單車
5.Easy-to-use stations 簡單的租車程序
The arrangements of bike-share operations span the gamut, from publicly run programs (e.g., Buenos Aires, Montreal, Shanghai and Taipei) to programs run by nonprofit organizations (e.g., Boulder, Denver, Minneapolis and San Antonio) or private enterprises (e.g., Barcelona, Mexico City, New York City, Paris and Rio de Janeiro)," says the ITDP report.
All successful systems share a pricing structure that gives locals an incentive to take them on short trips -- usually a half hour or less -- which helps maximize the turnover of the bicycles.
Bike sharing is a post-ownership transport system that is environmentally sustainable, healthy and business-oriented. It's the transport of the future.
紐約交通和發展政策研究所（ITDP）說，自行車共享計畫的熱潮還在全球持續延燒，無論是從公部門發起（如布宜諾斯艾利斯、蒙特婁、上海、台北市），或由非營利組織出發（如美國博爾德、丹佛、明尼亞波利斯、聖安東尼奧市），還是透過私人企業經營（如巴塞隆納、墨西哥市、紐約、巴黎、里約熱內盧），各種方式皆然。
所有成功的系統，其定價結構都鼓勵當地民眾採取短程使用，讓公共自行車使用周轉率最大化。
這項建設不僅對環境友善，也對使用者的健康有幫助，預計大眾自行車租賃系統將持續掀起熱潮！
Combat(v.) 戰鬥
Drastic measures were taken to combat inflation. 已採取激烈措施對付通貨膨脹。
Snarl(n.) (交通)堵塞
Skyrocket(v.) 猛漲；突然高升
The trade deficit has skyrocketed. 貿易逆差已經急劇增長。
Single out 選出
Which would you single out as the best? 你覺得哪一個最好?
Market penetration 市場滲透率、市場佔有率
Remedy(n.) 補救措施
I don't suppose there'll ever be a remedy for that. 我想那件事不會有任何補救辦法。
Transit finance 通勤費用
Hit(n.) 成功而風行一時的事物
The new play is the hit of the season. 這齣新戲是本季最叫座的。
Critical(adj.) 關鍵的、緊要的
That was a critical time in the nation's history. 那是涉及國家命運的一個關鍵時刻。
Span(v.) 跨越
A bridge spanned the river. 一座橋橫跨了該河。
Gamut(n.) 整個範圍；全部
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