France Tales » Velo Toulouse

Vélô Toulouse bicycle rental program part 4

Owen — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:58:02 +0000

Here is a map of the different stations currently in use. There are plans for a grand expansion of the program but right now it is focused on the center of the city. Does anyone know how to request a station near you? There are some drug dealers not far from our apt. They hang out in a public parking lot. I was thinking if there were a bicycle station there and more people walked past then they might move along somewhere else.

emplacements-135-velos-stations.pdf

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Bicycle Rentals in Toulouse

Owen — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:00:25 +0000

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This is part 3 of the series of renting bicycles in Toulouse. I found a great in depth diagram about the bicycles. Click on the photo below to see it full size. The diagram is in French but is pretty easy to understand. If you have a specific question ask as a comment and one us will answer it, the beauty of crowdsourcing.

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Velo Toulouse Bicycle Rental Program part 2

Owen — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:57:00 +0000

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This is part 2 of the series about the Velo Toulouse Bicycle Rental Program. What do you have to do to actually get the bicycle? I have seen the racks but how do I do it?

To take a bicycle
Go to the rack with your subscriber card or your carte bleu, this is your atm bank card, and follow the instructions to the screen. Subscribers of long duration pass their subscriber card of over the reader, something you get when you sign up for a forfait or contract. Type your confidential code and choose your bicycle. The bicycle unlocks and you are set. Subscribers of short duration must pass their carte bleu over the reader, type your confidential code, atm code, and your user number and choose a bicycle. The bicycle unlocks and you are set. It is automatic and no other interaction occurs. It is very quick and you don’t even need to speak French, although reading the screen could be tricky, but once you do it a few times you know how to do it.

To drop your bicycle off
Bring your bicycle to a rack. Attach your bicycle to the rack. When you hear the 2 beeps it has been confirmed that your bicycle was returned. You are all set.

If the bicycle will not attach and you do not hear the beeps call 0800 11 22 05 of Monday through Saturday of 8 a.m. to 18 h to report the problem. They will advise you about what to do next.

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Velo Toulouse Bicycle Rental Program

Owen — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:47:45 +0000

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Toulouse France has a bicycle rental program that is rapidly growing. Many European cities have been developing their bicycle rental programs and Toulouse is no exception. I will run a 4-5 part series on what it is, how it works, how to sign up, and how to use it: regular users and tourists. It is very easy, convenient, and inexpensive.

The basic way it works is this. You can rent for a day, a week, a month, short term but longer than a month, or a year. One year is only 25€, one month is 10€, one week is 5€, and one day is 1€. That is pretty cheap. There are stations throughout the city where the bikes are locked. When you sign up for a contract you get a card that you can swipe at the station and then the bike unlocks and you can ride it away. You can keep the bike all day or return it to any of the nearly 250 stations throughout the city.

All bikes are connected to a central computer server when they are at a station so you can get real time info on availability of bikes at the nearest stations to you. This can come in handy when the weather is better and more people rent bikes. Some stations have been empty even in the winter on nice days. One drawback is that the stations are more centered around the city center. There are stations at metro stops outside of the center but not as many scattered throughout the neighborhoods.

All bikes are equipped with a basket, a light on the front, a cuff to protect your pants, and a lock that is built in to the basket. The bikes also have reflective strips so you are very visible at night. They are 3 speed bikes but since Toulouse is largely flat, it is not an issue. All the bikes look the same and have fenders and Velo Toulouse signs on them so I think they are not stolen much. Thy look like slightly more modern beach cruiser type bikes so they are comfortable, upright, and easy to ride. They are not, however, aerodynamic and sporty. If you must ride a sporty bike these are not for you. If you live in a small space and don’t have room for a bike in your apt this is perfect for you.

What else would you like to know about the program?

Here is a link to the official site, in French though.

Here is a picture of one of the bikes.

I’ll take some more pictures as this series develops so you can get a better idea of the bikes.