Opinion

Editorial: Rent to ride … we like it

Has the subject of bicycling ever generated as much local news as it has lately? Unlikely. Bicycles were for kids and Europeans. But now, on the heels of the Kinder Institute's survey, which stated that over 50 percent of area residents would prefer to live within walking - or biking - distance of work, shopping and entertainment, the city has opened its first three bike rental stations downtown, making Houston one of the first 15 cities in the country to offer bike rentals.

People who want to cross downtown in a hurry, and perhaps catch lunch at Discovery Green or Phoenicia, can bike their way over and work off a few lamb shawarma calories in the process.

As Allan Turner reported last week ("Bike share program gears up downtown," Page B4, May 2), the first B-cycle (as the bikes are known) rental stations will be strategically located at City Hall, Market Square Park and the George R. Brown Convention Center, and will include 18 bicycles. Plans call for adding 200 more bikes at stations located between downtown and the Texas Medical Center by the end of the year.

The bikes are sturdy, three-gear affairs, designed more for comfort than speed. As Mayor Parker said at the press conference that signaled the beginning of the program, "You can ride in heels." They also feature baskets, locks and lights, and are height adjustable. Riders can purchase one-day membership at the rental station, and annual memberships are available at the website www.houston.bcycle.com. With the annual membership, the first 90 minutes of rental are free.

It all sounds very convenient, but biking around the inner core of the city can still present challenges. In an editorial last month ("The next bike city?" Page B6, April 28), we called for the city to designate more "bicycle only" pathways, as sharing lanes with cars and trucks can be irritating for the driver - and dangerous for the cyclist.

Conditions at the press conference itself showed some of the challenges that Houston bicyclists face. At times thundering buses drowned out the speakers. And on a muggy early May day, some speakers were sweating through their dress shirts. August lunch hours may not see many rentals.

But maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised. Houston is turning out to be a surprising place.