Velib

Velib is much easier to use than I have been expecting. This is my impression after taking a ride for the first time since I arrived in France. Very comfortable to ride in.

Here are the problems. First, in France it is not allowed to use the walkway for bicycle so people use the car road like motorcycle. So there are bicycles in the big intersection and rotary between cars. Second, there are many one-way street in Paris and bicycles, of course, need to follow it. People have to use other non direct streets. Then how can you find it is one-way or not because there are no signs in many cases?? The most common way is to check the direction of parked cars, or if there are two traffic light on the both sides of the street, the street is one way.

Today there are 1800(!) Velib stations in/close to Paris and they are placed about every 300m.