All over America, people are rediscovering the bicycle, and thanks to city-wide bike sharing programs, they don’t have to buy a bike to join in the fun.

The United States is overweight, suffocating in pollution, and mired in traffic jams. Civic leaders struggle with high-tech solutions for these problems, all the while, a simple, cheap solution is right under their noses: the bicycle.

Bike sharing, a popular type of collaborative consumption, aims to reintroduce urban residents to the beauty and convenience of the bicycle. These programs allow anyone, tourist or native, to borrow a bike for temporary use. Most city bike sharing programs  encourage people to join for a monthly membership fee, and then pay a certain hourly fee for trips longer than 30 or 60 minutes. The idea is to keep people out of their cars and cabs for short-distance trips, and all over America, it’s working.

1. Washington D.C.

One of the first city-wide bike sharing programs in the nation, Washington D.C.’s Capital Bikeshare launched in 2010 with 1,100 bikes and 110 stations. In just a few short years, response has been so positive that the program has expanded rapidly. Capital Bikeshare now makes more than 1,800 bicycles available to commuters via 200+ stations across Washington, D.C., Arlington, VA, and Alexandria, VA. The program reports more than 300,000 members and at least 250,000 trips by bicycle each month.

2. Minneapolis

Formed through the Twin Cities Bike Share Project, Nice Ride Minnesota has been permanently changing the way people experience and perceive Minneapolis for nearly three years. A yearly membership only costs $65 and gives members access to 1,550 bikes located at 170 stations spread around Minneapolis and Saint Paul. According to Nice Ride, local commuters have taken more than 700,000 rides on Nice Ride bikes in 2013 alone.

3. Denver

Also founded in 2010, Denver B-cycle was the first large-scale municipal bike sharing system in the United States. All rides under 3o minutes long are free, so long as you’re a B-cycle member. The program started with 500 bikes and 50 stations, but just this year, 31 new stations were added, nearly doubling the number of bikes available to Denver residents and visitors.

4. Chicago

The Windy City is the latest American metropolis to launch a bike sharing program. In late June, just as Chicagoans were celebrating the Stanley Cup win, Divvy Bikes became available for the first time. With nearly with 4,000 bikes and 400 stations spread out across the city, Chicago’s program is definitely one of the most ambitious. Divvy is available for use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And by providing twice as many docking points as bicycles, the program ensures that an available dock is always available for returning bikes.

5. New York City

Also debuting in 2013 was the long-anticipated New York City bike sharing program. Called Citi Bike (thanks to corporate sponsor Citi Bank) the program boasts well over 4,000 bicycles and 300 stations, although plans call for a target number of 10,000 bikes across the city. The stations are solar-powered and modular to allow for easy installation. Each station consists of a variable number of docking ports for the bikes, plus a touchscreen kiosk for the purchase of Access Passes, and a map of local bike lanes, other Citi Bike stations, and places to buy a helmet.

Images: ejchang, Capital Bikeshare, Nice Ride Minnesota, denverjeffrey, Divvy Bikes, Citi Bike

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Take Your Trips Outside the Car

I’m starting to think there really is no place like home. In his wonderful book, The Circumference of Home, Kurt Hoelting takes one year off planes, trains and automobiles in order to act on behalf of the planet, curbing his travel emissions and roaming-by foot, bike and kayak-his native turf. He writes: “The more I explore my home ground, the more it comes alive, and I have to put to rest the illusion that I am limiting myself by doing so. Everything we need to be happy really is near at hand.”

With that in mind, we at YDT have been thinking about how to stick close to home in eco-style this summer. Or, if we do trek farther, how to ditch the car once we’re in that new place, to wander without four wheels.

Here’s some inspiration:

Embody summer at home

At Make Grow Gather, Kelly Wilkinson has a “Lazy Summer Project” and attendant to do list. She doesn’t want to miss eating a ripe peach or star gazing this time around. She’s also featuring one post a week from someone describing their perfect summer day. With two so far, there is no mention of far-flung travels or automotives – more like homemade lemonade, hammocks and a morning spent reading in an NYC park (via new urban habitat).

Take a hike, don’t take the car

Escape Hatch at Readymade has clever resources for getting to hiking trails from a few major cities, without driving! Car-free Hiking feels like the perfect solution for enjoying the great outdoors and not smogging them up on your way there. If you’re in L.A. or otherwise not on the list, check metro or Google Maps’ transit option. And TrailLink might help you find a new knoll to trek.

For more car free travel options, check out the full-length article at Your Daily Thread.

Editor’s note: Article by Danielle Davis. Originally published by our friends at Your Daily Thread. Your Daily Thread has simple, everyday updates on living a green, active lifestyle. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Your Daily Thread on Twitter, too!

Image: mikebaird

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