Week 8: The most trusted professions

Read the presentation The most trusted professions at  http://uwb2m-s.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-most-trusted-professions-many.html and comment on it/ discuss it here.

                    

Week 8: Climate Change

Read the presentation Climate change at  http://uwb2m-s.blogspot.com/2013/05/climate-change.html and comment on it/ discuss it here. 

 

Week 7: Meanness and extravagance on the map

Read the presentation Meanness and extravagance on the map at http://uwb2m-s.blogspot.com/2013/04/miserliness-and-extravagance-on-map.html  and comment on it/ discuss it here.

Week 7: Sham Marriage

Read the presentation about Sham Marriages at http://uwb2m-s.blogspot.com/2013/05/sham-marriage-marriage-marriageof.html and comment on them/discuss them  here.

Week 7: Our Dreams

Read the presentation about Our  Dreams at http://uwb2m-s.blogspot.com/2013/05/our-dreams.html and comment on it/discuss it here.

Week 6: Bike in the city

For a very long time I have dreamed about a bicycle which I don't need to buy, store and repair. Of course for years I could rent one at a bike rent shop but they are really rare, also usually situated far away and quite expensive. At present life is changing quickly therefore Warsaw as well. For example, ZTM is offering now to Varsovians a possibility to rent a bike. A great idea from early spring to late autumn or if you prefer from March till November. On every corner of streets you can bump into one from almost 130 bike rent stations where two thousand vehicles are waiting for you! There is more, till the end of the season those good strangers claim they will give us an additional twenty bike stations. 

You could ask why we need so many bikes? However, the statistics show that last year, when the number of bikes was twice lower, every day within a week over three and a half thousand people used them and more than eight thousand over the weekend. It means that four people rode every vehicle a day and this season is to be much better, which means nearly ten thousand bikers every day on our streets! Do you think it is terrible?

I don’t think so. For me, this is great news because it is directly connected with measurable benefits (but not for petrol stations, yeah). People riding bicycles don’t use the other means of transport in the city, especially cars. Our capital will benefit of it as well as our wallets and bodies.

Another positive side is the renting price of that bike. It looks like 20 minutes for free and until we exceed one hour we pay only one zloty. The second hour costs 3, third 5 and the rest 7. But in an hour it is possible to ride enough kilometers to get to another bike station to change a vehicle. Then you have the next hour just for 1 zloty. It is perfect, isn’t it?

When someone steals a bike the police will find him easily because they have GPS, as well as you get a good bicycle lock.

Very important is to observe a twelve hour time limit! After this time you have to pay an additional fee of 200 zlotys. It is quite a lot if we planned to spend only a little money for riding. Also if you damaged a bike it will cost you…nearly eighteen hundred zlotys. Be careful!

Very cool is that bicycles are locked in stations by an electromagnetic locks powered by solar cells. The control panels are also powered that way. When a whole bike station is full, you have to simply lock a bicycle to the other bike and then return it in accordance with the return procedure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tC7o6G9gvlk

By the way I am proud that ZTM dared to take such a step. Nevertheless, all the bicycle popularity will influence them unfavourably. But on the other hand, the bus doesn’t take stowaways.

sources:

http://www.veturilo.waw.pl

Questions:

1. Do you think bike renting stations are a good idea?
2. How often do you use a bike instead of the public transport or a car?
3. Do you think Warsaw is friendly to cyclists?